Near ThreatenedSteller Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
Mammals · Carnivora · Otariidae
Callorhinus ursinus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The northern fur seal is an otariid of the North Pacific that spends most of the year on the open sea and comes ashore only to breed, in extremely dense colonies. More than half the world population breeds on the Pribilof Islands, in Alaska. Unlike the true seals, it does not depend on a thick layer of blubber but on an extraordinarily dense coat that traps an insulating layer of air, which made it the target of intensive fur hunting for two centuries.
Weight
30 kg – 270 kg
Size
1.3 m – 2.1 m
Life expectancy
25 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Callorhinus ursinus
Best time: From June to August on the Pribilof Islands and in Kamchatka, when the breeding colonies fill with territorial males.
The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Northern Fur Seal — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The northern fur seal is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about northern fur seal.
