Harbor Seal

Phoca vitulina

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Mammalia · Carnivora · Phocidae

About

The harbor seal, also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped, they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas.

Fun Fact

Harbor seals can sleep underwater, surfacing to breathe without fully waking — they do this by keeping half their brain asleep at a time, a behaviour called unihemispheric sleep.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Coastal waters

Diet

Piscivore

Lifespan

25-30 years

Threats

Ocean Pollution
Overfishing

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

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