Mammals · Carnivora · Phocidae

Bearded Seal

Erignathus barbatus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The bearded seal is the largest seal in the Arctic, with a heavy body, a small head and the long, dense whiskers that give it its beard and its name. It feeds by rooting on the sea floor: clams, crabs, worms and bottom-dwelling fish, which it locates by touch with its whiskers. It prefers shallow water with drifting ice and is important prey for the polar bear and the killer whale. It is also an essential resource for Inuit communities.

Weight

200 kg – 430 kg

Size

2.1 m – 2.7 m

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanPolarCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Ocean Polar Mammal

9countries 17parks 1dive sites14same family

Fun facts

GeneralThe males sing trilling songs underwater that carry 20 km.
The male's song during the breeding season is one of the strangest sounds in the Arctic: a spiralling descending trill lasting almost a minute that carries for kilometres beneath the ice.
Its whiskers curl at the tips as they dry, a detail that sets it apart from any other Arctic seal.