ORANGE COUNTY ZOO

 

Photo courtesy of  Irvine Park Railroad
 

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The Orange County Zoo is
owned and operated by the
County of Orange, California.


Web page produced by the
Orange County Zoological Society,
Copyright 2005.
 

  

Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina

Harbor seals are not currently housed at the Orange County Zoo. 


 

  • Seals are in the scientific order Pinnipedia, which is derived from the Latin word pinna meaning "wing" and pedis, meaning "foot". They are"wing footed". While Pinnipeds find their food in the sea, they are still tied to land for birthing and other activities, unlike other marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins.

  • Seals have good senses of sight, hearing and touch. They are thought to have a good sense of smell also. They are able to see well both in and out of the water and in low-light conditions. They do not have color vision. The long whiskers may be used to detect vibrations in the water.

  • While swimming or diving, seals can close their nostrils. They also can seal their larynx and esophagus with their tongue when they open their mouth underwater for catching fish. Small fish can be eaten underwater, but the seal will surface when eating a larger fish. Harbor seals can dive to 300 feet and stay submerged for 15-30 minutes.

  • Males can reach 6 feet long and weigh up to 375 pounds.  Females are slightly smaller.

  • They range from North Atlantic (France, U.K., Iceland, Greenland,  Canada) and North Pacific (from Alaska to Baja  California).  They live mainly along ocean shorelines, but also occasionally found in fresh water rivers.

  • Vocalizations include snorting, growling, and coughing.

  • Their diet includes smelt, mackerel, squid, herring, capelin, sardine, anchovy, octopus, shrimp, crab and mollusks.       

  • A single pup is born in spring to fall.  Seals have implantation.  Following fertilization, the embryo becomes dormant for 2-3 months.  The embryo will then implant and continue development.  (Active embryo growth is 6 1/2 - 8 months during the 10 - 11 month gestation)

 

 Other Pinniped facts:

  • The small intestine of a Southern elephant seal can be up to 660 feet. (Man's is about 23 feet long)

  • When diving, the seal will drops its heart rate to 10-20% of normal.

  • The Weddell seal dive normally lasts 20 minutes, but they have been timed to last 73 minutes. The Weddell seal can dive to depths of over 600 feet.

  • In addition to fish, many species will also eat krill, mollusks, squid, birds, penguins and other seals.

  • California sea lion will hunt for prey up to 240 feet down in the ocean.

  • Seals have delayed implantation. Following fertilization, the embryo becomes dormant for 2-3 months. The embryo will then implant and continue development. (Active embryo growth is 6 1/2 - 8 months during the 10 - 11 month gestation) This enables them to have a one year breeding cycle.

  • Harp seal milk is more than 40% fat towards the end of lactation.

 

Return to Animal list
 

 

 

 

Differences between Seals and Sea Lions

Seal

  • Known as "true seals"

  • No external ear flap

  • Hips move side to side for swimming

  • Moves like a slug on land, cannot "walk" or rotate hips

  • Swims with feet, may steer with front flippers

  • Swims well, fast

Sea Lion

  • Known as “eared seals”

  • Has an external ear flap

  • Has rotating hip.  Hips are more like a polar bear than a seal

  • Swims with front flippers, feet are used as a rudder

  • Swims well and extremely fast