Harbor seals have gray or brown fur with dark and light spots, and each one
looks different from the others. Visit the harbor seals at the Aquarium to see
if you can tell them apart.

Size  Males can weigh 150 to 300 pounds and grow up to 6 feet long. Females
weigh up to 200 pounds and are generally 4.5 feet long.

Diet  Fishes and squid

Lifespan  Average 25 years

Range  Harbor seals can be found along North Atlantic coasts from Canada and Greenland
through New York. Some occasionally wander as far south as Florida.

Habitat  They rest and raise their pups on sandy and rocky beaches. When not on land, they can be
found in Arctic, subarctic and temperate coastal ocean waters, estuaries and rivers.

Predators  Adult harbor seals are hunted by orcas, large sharks and polar bears.
Smaller sharks, foxes and birds of prey will also hunt pups.

Relatives  Harbor seals are called earless because they do not have external ears, just ear holes.
Grey and hooded seals are also earless seals.

Family life  Harbor seals do not form pair bonds, and one male will breed with many females. After an 11-month pregnancy, the female gives birth to a single pup. The pups weigh about 30 pounds at birth, and may double their weight before they are weaned at 4-6 weeks.

Conservation status  Stable  The Atlantic harbor seal population is stable, which means that it is not at risk of extinction.

Explore other profiles   Check out moon jellies, American lobsters and green sea turtles.

Seals and climate change   According to scientists, the retreat of sea ice has reduced the platform that seals traditionally use to rest between searches for fish and mussels. Read more ...