what does a harbor seal eat

Adult harbor seals eat squid, crustaceans, molluscs, and a variety of fish; including, rockfish, herring, flounder, salmon, hake, and sand lance. Locally, standing rigging and fykes can be affected by hungry seals. The Common Seal or Harbour Seal, is a true seal of the Northern Hemisphere. The seal also preys on cephalopods such as octopus and squid, and on crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs. The White Sea population of harp seals consumes approximately 3.5 million tons of both invertebrates and fish annually. Prey species include salmon, mackerel, cod, anchovy, herring, and sea bass. Scottish and Norwegian salmon farms are also regularly visited by grey seals that are very fond of salmon. Milk Does a Body Good .

Polar bears are natural predators of the harbor seal, and thus they do eat harbor seals as part of their diet. According to the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, harp seals eat more crustaceans during the summer and autumn feeding seasons, and switch to fish during the spring. They wait until the tide comes in to feed, and some may even follow fish runs with the high tides in spring. In winter, their most preferred food is krill. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, harbor seals eat herring, capelin, squid, butterfish and mackerel. However, some seals specialize in only certain types of seafood; for instance, Southern Elephant seals eat mainly squid while walruses eat mainly mollusks. They also eat invertebrates such as octopus and squid and even crabs. Seasonally, harbour seals eat salmonids as these fishes enter and leave the rivers. The harbor seal’s diet consists mainly of fish. Penguins also form an important part of their diet, especially during the months of January and February. This does not mean they are injured. Harbor seal pups can swim at birth. While seals are in constant danger from their natural enemies, sharks, killer whales, and, in the Arctic, polar bears, the greatest threat to them are humans. They can also dive for up to 2 minutes when they are only 2 to 3 days old. A harbor seal's diet varies seasonally and regionally and often is subject to local prey availability.

Mating generally occurs in late spring or summer, shortly after the previous year’s pup has been weaned. Having the widest range of all pinnipeds, Common Seals are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as those of the Baltic and North Seas. Instead, they move by undulating in a caterpillar-like motion.

Adult seals typically eat 3-5 kg of food per day. Considerations. Each male harbour seal will mate with several females during the breeding season. The reason for this is found in their diet: harbor seals eat sole, flounder, sculpin, cod, herring, octopus and squid — all links in a food chain that is increasingly … The harbor seal is an opportunistic carnivore, feeding on whatever prey is most abundant and easiest to catch. Although harbor seals are mainly a solitary species, they can be extremely gregarious, especially on land and during the breeding season. Social Structure. Harbour seals eat relatively young flounder, a fish species which is hardly commercially interesting for the fishermen.

Harbor seal pelvic bones are fused, preventing them from moving their hind flippers under their pelvis to walk on land. Leopard seals are rather clumsy on land, but in water, they are at home, swimming around with great speed and maneuverability. How does the harbour seal reproduce? Harbor seals are within the Order Carnivora, which means that they primarily eat meat. The animals damage both the nets and the catch when stealing fish. A harbor seal's diet varies seasonally and regionally and often is subject to local prey availability. Leopard seals eat an amazingly large variety of food. They also eat squid, clams, octopus, crayfish, crabs and shrimp when available.
Adult harbor seals eat squid, crustaceans, molluscs, and a variety of fish; including, rockfish, herring, flounder, salmon, hake, and sand lance. The meat they eat is fish in the nearshore waters of the park, such as herring, anchovies, sardines, hake, flounder, sole, salmon and sculpin. Harbor seals are opportunistic feeders and primarily eat fish, such as rockfish, herring, cod, mackerel, flounder and salmon. However, the harbor seal only makes up a small portion of the polar bear's diet.


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