Flippered marine mammals: the true seals, the sea lions and fur seals, and the walrus, 34 species in all. They eat at sea but come ashore to breed and rest.
This entry covers a whole group, so the answers describe a typical member. For a specific one, see Sea lion, Walrus.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
Mainly the leopard seal: attacks are rare, but one killed a biologist snorkelling in Antarctica in 2003.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Arctic Indigenous peoples have traditionally used the meat, blubber and skin of seals.
At a glance
Found inOceans, Arctic, Antarctic
HabitatCoast, Open ocean, Polar
ColoursGrey, Brown
SizeLarge
Length1 m (Baikal seal) to 5 m (southern elephant seal)
Weight45 kg (Baikal seal) to 3,200 kg (southern elephant seal)
LegsNone
Covered inFur
Lives incolonies
Lives for25–30 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Oceans worldwide, mostly at sea but with a few species in fresh water, such as the Baikal seal.
- What it eats
- Mainly fish and marine invertebrates. The leopard seal also hunts penguins and other seals, and walruses feed on the seabed.
Did you know
Can sleep underwater, surfacing to breathe without waking.
Often confused with
- Sea lion
A sea lion has visible ear flaps and can walk on all four flippers. The true seals are the earless seals.
Compare side by side - Walrus
A walrus is bigger than any seal except the elephant seals, and has long tusks and almost hairless skin.
Compare side by side
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