Like sea lions and walruses, spotted seals belong to a group of mammals called pinnipeds. Spotted seals, like other ice seals, rely on the ice for feeding, resting and pupping. They are a medium-sized seal, smaller than bearded seals and larger than the ringed and ribboned seals. An adult male can reach approximately five feet in length and weigh as much as 200 pounds. Their coloration is usually a silverish gray, broken up by darker spots and splotches. They can be found in the Bering Sea year round.
Harp seals swim the cold Arctic waters feeding on fish and crustaceans. They can stay submerged underwater for up to fifteen minutes. Their gray or yellowish colored bodies are marked with a darker saddle across their backs. Harp seals can grow as long as six feet, and may weigh up to 600 pounds. Hundreds of thousands are harvested each year in seal hunts, and they are the favorite prey of polar bears. Environmentalists and animal rights activists are especially concerned about the harp seals' future because the fluffy, white fur of the young is prized by trappers and hunters.
Bearded seals are the largest of the group called ice seals. A male can weigh as much as 800 pounds at his heaviest, and measure 8 feet from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, excluding his flippers. Even the young are larger than many adult seals; a pup can weigh 75 pounds at birth and measure 4 feet long. Alaskan Eskimos have hunted the bearded seals for centuries. The seals provide them with meat, oil and hides. Polar bears also prey on bearded seals, although the seals usually rest near a break in the ice which provides a quick escape. Bearded seals, unlike some Arctic seals, have no distinctive markings. They are usually dark gray or brown in color.
Hooded seals are a migratory species of seals and have been found in waters as far south as the Caribbean. Their name is derived from the elastic sac that extends from their noses to their foreheads. Males inflate the "hood" to demonstrate aggression, and the hooded seal is considered one of the most aggressive species of seals. Males will grow to as much as 9 feet in length and can weigh up to 800 pounds. The females are smaller. The young, called "bluebacks" because of their distinctive blue-gray coloration, are sometimes hunted for their pelts.
Ringed seals are the smallest of the pinnipeds, and rarely exceed five feet in length or 150 pounds in weight. Ringed seals have no distinctive coloration, but are usually gray with dark spots and a light underbelly. They are also the most common of the Arctic seals, and have long been an important part of the Alaskan economy. They provide food and consumable products for coastal Eskimos. Conservative estimates state that there are more than 250,000 ringed seals in Arctic waters. Polar bears, killer whales and walruses all prey upon ringed seals.
Ribbon seals are the most elusive and unusual of the Arctic seals. When they are seen, their distinctive markings make it very easy to identify them. Mature adults have four white bands of color, resembling ribbons, on a dark background. One ribbon encircles their necks, one encircles their posterior, and the other two encircle their foreflippers. The ribbon seal is also unique because it has an air structure not found in other seals. Scientists are not sure exactly what the air structure does, but think it may help produce sound or provide buoyancy when diving or swimming.
