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Newfoundland and Labrador Seals
Except for the grey and harbour seals, seals in Newfoundland and Labrador migrate from Arctic waters on southward moving pack ice in early spring. Predators are primarily polar bears, killer whales and humans. Here are six kinds:
Hooded seal: 2.5 meters; 380 kilograms
The adult male hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) blows its elastic nasal cavity up to its forehead so that it looks like a bright-red bladder, and is nicknamed "bladdernose." When deflated the hood is a visible mound of pleated skin. It can also blow a small red-orange balloon-like nasal sac out through its nostril. Black blotches cover its blue-grey coat. It lives on the edge of the pack ice moving south during winter to fish on the Grand Banks. Hooded seal pups are born mid-March on the pack ice off southern Labrador and northeastern Newfoundland.
Bearded seal: 2.3 meters; 250 kilograms
The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) is not common but may be seen around the tip of the northern peninsula. The long thick white whiskers give its name and the square fore flippers are responsible for the local name of "square-flipper." A large seal with a very thick neck, large eyes and a smoky grey coat, the bearded seal is usually seen alone.
Grey seal: 2.2 meters; 200 kilograms
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is nicknamed "horsehead" because its long broad face resembles a horse. It is seen with the harbour seal competing for the same fish. With its massive head, heavy folded shoulders and its hisses and short barks, the grey seal is dominant over the harbour seal. Its coat varies from dark brown to silvery grey with silver or white on the belly. Its hair seems to grow the "wrong way" from tail to head. Grey seals are common on the south coast, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and up the western side of the northern peninsula.
Harp seal: 1.7 meters; 136 kilograms
The harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) has an irregular dark brown to black horse-shoe or "harp" shape that saddles the back of mature males. Adults are silvery or tan with a small dark head and fat neck that folds into the body. The young have a white coat which they shed after two weeks for one that is grey with dark blotches. When gathering on the ice flows of eastern Newfoundland to whelp in March they form the biggest herd of animals in the world, with numbers between two to three million. In the spring they usually follow the pack ice north to spend their summers in Arctic waters.
Harbour seal: 1.5 meters; 95 kilograms
Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) have a small round head that makes them look like a dog in the water. They are constantly on the lookout and pop up and down, staying submerged for about 20 minutes. If not frightened they often reappear with a fish or crustacean in their mouth. The harbour seal has a variety of coat colours ranging from a bluish grey to brown or tan, usually interspersed with brown blotches. Its belly is silvery white. They are found in Chance Cove Provincial Park on the southern Avalon, and may be seen anywhere around the island, especially in areas where fresh water rivers run into the sea.
Ringed seal: 1.4 meters; 60 kilograms
The ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida) is the smallest seal common to the island. Its body is like the harbour seal, although its head is small and round and its large brown eyes and pointed snout make it look more catlike. It is named from the light coloured rings on its blueish-grey or brown back. Its belly is silver. The ringed seal prefers areas where ice is fast against the land but in spring it is seen among the drifting ice flows.
Others sharing Newfoundland waters
Web Site Developer Susan Guerrero
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