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Harbor seal
NOT ON EXHIBIT
At the Aquarium
Natural History
Awkward and cumbersome on land, harbor seals maneuver with grace and agility in the water. They can even sleep with their bodies nearly submerged in water, exposing only the tip of their nose to the air—a posture called "bottling."
Conservation
There is currently no commercial hunting of harbor seal, but some native subsistence hunting of seals still occurs. Because they compete for many of the same species of fish, harbor seals are sometimes killed by commercial fishers. Seals can also become entangled and drown in fishing nets and gear.
Cool Facts
Small groups of harbor seals haul out in protected shoreline areas to breed, moult and rest.
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Animal Facts
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ON EXHIBIT
- Scientific Name:
Phoca vitulina
- Habitat:
Kelp Forest
- Animal Type:
Marine Mammals
- Diet:
fishes, squid and crustaceans
- Size:
to 5 feet (1.6 m)
- Range:
temperate and subarctic coastal areas on both sides of the north Atlantic and north Pacific Oceans
- Relatives:
ringed seals, bearded seals; Order: Pinnipedia; Family: Phocidae
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