Seal

True Wild Life | Seal | The common seal tends to be found in colder waters in many places around the world. Many species of seal inhabit waters in the northern hemisphere and are often found in coastal waters where there is an abundance of food and fewer number of predators. There are thought to more than 30 different species of seal found in the world's cooler waters from the smallest species of seal, the Caspian seal to the Elephant seal which is the largest species of seal. Other seal species include the grey seal and the leopard seal which is known for it's highly predatory and aggressive behaviour Seals are closely related to sea lions and also walruses

The seal is easy and common prey for many of the world's predators both on land and in water due tho the medium size and generally peaceful and playful nature. Predators of the seal include polar bears, sharks and even humans who hunt the seals mainly for their oil but also for food. Seals are highly carnivorous marine animals that primarily hunt fish, squid and crustaceans (like shrimp and crabs). The large leopard seal is known to have a more diverse diet that not only includes larger species of fish but also penguins and the occasional sea bird.

Surprisingly, seals only spend around half of their time in water as the other half is spent on land. After a gestation period of between 11 months and a year, baby seals (known as seal pups) are born on land. Seal pups develop very quickly and some baby seals are often able to swim within a few hours of birth. Seal pups are born during the spring and summer months when temperatures are warmer and there is plenty of food.

Generally, seals live until they are about 20 years old but some species of seal live for a shorter period of time, where other seal species can live until they are nearly 40. Due to the fact that seals are a targeted food source for many species of animal, some seals in the wild will only live for a very short period of time.

Leopard Seal

True Wild Life | Leopard Seal | The leopard seal is the second largest species of seal in the world (behind the elephant seal) with some female leopard seals growing to 3.5 m in length! The bull leopard seal (male leopard seal) is generally smaller than the female leopard seal with large males growing to around 3m. The leopard seal is native to the frozen waters of the Antarctic but is also found to the north in the warmer climates. Leopard seals are often seen near South America, South Africa, New Zealand and around the south coast of Australia often in the warmer waters that are on close proximity of the frozen seas which the leopard seal thrives.

The leopard seal is a dominant predator in its environment and is rarely preyed upon by other animals with the exception of human hunters, the occasional desperate shark or killer whale . The leopard seal eats krill and plankton in the water but the leopard seals prefer to hunt larger fish and squid. Leopard seals have also been known to occasionally hunt even larger animals such as penguins. Leopard seal can live for more than 25 years, with this often depending on the size of the leopard seal and the skills of the leopard seal, as far as hunting goes. Leopard seals are extremely dominant and aggressive predators in their environment.

Like other species of seal , theb uses its hind limbs in order to push the leopard seal through the water. Leopard seals have also developed strong front limbs that help the leopard seal to be more agile in the water. The way in which the leopard seal uses its front limbs in conjunction with its hind limbs, is very similar to the way in which seal lions move about.

The Leopard Seal is a solitary animal with the leopard seals only coming together in small groups when it is time to mate. The female leopard seal digs herself a hole in the ice and the leopard seal pup is born after a gestation period of about 9 months, during the Antarctic summer time. The female leopard seal weans and protects her leopard seal pup until the leopard seal pup is big enough and strong enough to be able to fend for itself.

Grey Seal

True Wild Life | Grey Seal | The grey seal is one of the rarest species of seal in the world with around 40% of the grey seal population inhabiting the cooler waters around the United Kingdom. Grey seals are the biggest land breeding mammal in the United Kingdom, but are superbly adapted for life in the sea. Adult grey seals have 2 layers of thick fur and a thick blubber layer of fat to keep them warm at sea.

Grey seals get all the water they need from their food and a well hydrated grey seal will have bright eyes and tears. Grey seals feed mainly on squid and fish but the grey seal prefers to hunt sandeels and the seabed. The hands and feet of a grey seal are formed into webbed flippers with 5 strong claws on each. The grey seal has very powerful rear flippers that propel them through the water, using their tail to help steer. The grey seal also has very powerful shoulders that enable the grey seal to haul out onto steep and slippery rocks, even in a big swell.

Grey Seal pups have a white coat when born & for up to 3 weeks, then they moult into their adult coat. The grey seal mums feed their pups for 15 to 21 days with a rich milk that is 60% fat and the grey seal pups balloon out very quickly. After this weaning stage the grey seal mums leave their pups and the area. Grey seal pups leave too, as they must teach themselves to feed.

Life is hard for Grey Seal pups. About 30 to 50 percent of them die before their first birthday. Grey seal mums recognise their own pups calls and know exactly how their own pup smells. The Cornwall Seal Group in south west England was set up to monitor the presence (or absence) of seals in a north coast colony.

Elephant Seal

True Wild Life | Elephant Seal | There are two types of elephant seal found in the worlds oceans. The northern elephant seal is found in the Northern Hemisphere in the Pacific Ocean near to the coast of Mexico, Canada and the USA. The southern elephant seal is found in the southern hemisphere on the coast of Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand. The elephant seal is the largest species of seal in the world with the average male elephant seal growing to around 5 m long. The female elephant seals are generally quite a bit smaller than the male elephant seals, and the female elephant seals therefore grow to around 3m.

Elephant seals get their name from the large proboscis (nose) of the adult male elephant seal which closely resembles an elephants trunk. The male elephant seals proboscis is used to make extremely loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season. The male elephant seals long nose also acts as a rebreather, which allows the male elephant seal to conserve vital moisture. Elephant seals spend around 80% of their lives in the oceans, where the elephant seals hunt for fish, squid, octopus, eels and even small sharks. The southern elephant seal has also been known to hunt the smaller species of penguin.

Elephant seals are able to hold their breath underwater for over 2 hours, which is the longest of any water-based mammal. The elephant seals dive to depths of around 500 meters to hunt for food but some elephant seals have been observed diving to more than 1,500 meters underwater. The male elephant seals are able to stay at such depths for up to an hour, but the female elephant seals tend to resurface after approximately 20 minutes.

Elephant seals have a thick skin and fur to keep them warm in the freezing cold waters, but it is the thick layer of blubber that the elephant seal has under its skin that does the best job at insulating the elephant seal. The skin of the elephant seal molts every year and the elephant seals have to find land in order for the old skin of the elephant seal to molt and the new of the elephant seal to regrow. The molting process of the elephant seal does not occur during mating season, so the male elephant seals are able to stop fighting as there are no child-bearing females to protect.

Fur Seal

There are eight different species of fur seal found in the worlds oceans. Only one of these fur seal species is found in the northern hemisphere with the remaining seven species of fur seal found in the southern hemisphere.

Fur seals are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and like sea lions the fur seal has external ears (many species of true seal are in fact earless). The fur seal also has relatively long and muscular foreflippers, and fur seals are also able to walk on all fours when the fur seals reach land.

The fur seals most distinctive characteristic is the fur seals thick underfur which helps to keep the fur seal warm in freezing cold waters. The fur seals fur however has made the fur seal a long-time object of commercial hunting by humans.

Fur seals tend to return to specific beaches or rocky alcoves to breed which the fur seals do in the summer months. The fur seal pups are sent into the water as soon as the mother fur seal is finished weaning them in order for the fur seal pups to learn how to hunt.

The fur seal spends most of its time swimming in the open oceans hunting for food. Fur seals feed on fish and plankton but are also prone to hunting squid and eels.

The fur seal is often targeted prey for large aquatic animals such as sharks, killer whales, sea lions and occasionally the larger adult leopard seals.