Species group · Mammals
Seals
WAnimals has 13 species of seal, in the family Phocidae.
- 13 species
- 1 family
- 56 countries
- 101 parks
- Weight
- 45 kg – 600 kg
- Length
- 1 m – 3.5 m
- Lifespan
- 20 – 55 years
Ranges calculated from the profiles that record the figure, not from all 13.
All 13 species of seals on WAnimals
Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.
Least ConcernGrey Seal
Halichoerus grypus
20 countries14 parks20 dive sites
Least ConcernHarbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
19 countries18 parks31 dive sites
Least ConcernLeopard Seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
6 countries16 parks3 dive sites
Least ConcernWeddell Seal
Leptonychotes weddellii
6 countries22 parks3 dive sites
VulnerableMediterranean Monk Seal
Monachus monachus
28 countries14 parks20 dive sites
Least ConcernCrabeater Seal
Lobodon carcinophaga
6 countries13 parks3 dive sites
Least ConcernRinged Seal
Pusa hispida
11 countries18 parks2 dive sites
Least ConcernBearded Seal
Erignathus barbatus
9 countries17 parks1 dive site
EndangeredHawaiian Monk Seal
Neomonachus schauinslandi
1 country3 parks3 dive sites
Vulnerable
Hooded Seal
Cystophora cristata
7 countries15 parks3 dive sites
Least Concern
Harp Seal
Pagophilus groenlandicus
5 countries17 parks4 dive sites
Least Concern
Spotted Seal
Phoca largha
7 countries12 parks
Least Concern
Baikal Seal
Pusa sibirica
1 country3 parks1 dive site
Conservation status
10 Least Concern2 Vulnerable1 Endangered
3 species in this group are in a threatened category according to the IUCN.
Where they live
Recorded in 56 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:
Where to see them
- Wrangel Island5 species
- Auyuittuq4 species
- Forlandet4 species
- Nordvest-Spitsbergen4 species
- Quttinirpaaq4 species
- Sable Island4 species
- Sirmilik4 species
- Sør-Spitsbergen4 species
- Vatnajokull4 species
- Amanda Bay3 species
- Gates of the Arctic3 species
- Katmai3 species
- Bell Island Wrecksdiving
- Svalbard (ice diving)diving
- Bay of Fundydiving
- Deception Islanddiving
- Paradise Harbourdiving
- Saguenay Fjord (belugas)diving
Did you know…?
One animal in captivity reached a record 42.9 years.
From Grey Seal
It feeds on a variety of fish and occasionally on marine invertebrates.
From Grey Seal
It lives on the temperate and subarctic coasts of the North Atlantic, the Baltic included.
From Grey Seal
That is a crucial adaptation for a species that gives birth on exposed intertidal ground.
From Harbor Seal
It feeds on fish and a variety of marine invertebrates.
From Harbor Seal
It lives on the temperate and Arctic coasts of the Northern Hemisphere.
From Harbor Seal
It combines active hunting and filter feeding in a single species, which is unusual among pinnipeds.
From Leopard Seal
It eats krill, fish, squid, penguins and smaller seals.
From Leopard Seal