The Harbour seal, also known as the Common seal, is the most widely distributed pinniped, found along temperate to Arctic coastlines of the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Recognisable by its rounded head, large dark eyes, and short, dog-like snout, it shows remarkable variation in coat colour, ranging from pale grey with dark spots to almost black with light rings.
Harbour seals are adaptable, opportunistic feeders, eating fish, squid, crustaceans, and molluscs, and can consume up to eight kilograms of food a day. Although they often live close to human settlements, they are naturally shy and spend much of their time in the water, usually foraging alone. They are most commonly seen hauled out on beaches, rocks, sandbars, or ice, where they rest, regulate body temperature, moult, or avoid predators. Despite being widespread and listed as Least Concern globally, harbour seals face local threats from fishing activities, pollution, and habitat disturbance, making them an important indicator species for the health of coastal ecosystems.
Quick Harbour Seal Facts
| Scientific name | Pagophilus Groenlandicus |
| Length | 1.7 - 2.0m (5.6 - 6.6ft) |
| Weight | 115- 140kg (250-310lb) |
| Population | 4.5 million individuals |
| Species Conservation Status | Least Concern |
Diet and Behaviour
Harp seals are highly social, ice-associated seals of the Arctic Atlantic, strongly linked to pack ice and long seasonal migrations that can exceed 2,500 kilometres between wintering areas and summer feeding grounds in the high Arctic. Unlike most other seals, they are notably gregarious and are the only seal species commonly observed travelling in large groups; sightings of 6 to 50 seals swimming together almost always indicate harp seals. They are powerful, wide-ranging swimmers that follow shifting ice and prey availability throughout the year. Their diet consists mainly of fish and invertebrates, including capelin, Arctic cod, cod, herring, halibut, crabs, and other marine invertebrates. After weaning, young seals rely heavily on small crabs as a primary food source. Harp seals have also been heavily influenced by human activity, being widely hunted for fur, oil, and leather, yet they remain one of the most abundant and iconic seal species of the Arctic.
Breeding Cycle
The harp seal has a highly seasonal and tightly synchronized breeding cycle, closely linked to the formation of Arctic pack ice. Breeding occurs from late February to the end of March each year. Females gather in large congregations on the ice (sometimes tens of thousands over several kilometres) along cracks and leads to give birth to a single pup.
Pups are born small, around 10 kg, and initially have yellow-stained fur from amniotic fluid, which turns bright white within 2–3 days. The mother nurses the pup with high-fat milk for about 12 days, during which the pup can gain up to 2 kg per day. By the end of nursing, pups weigh around 35 kg, after which the mother abandons them, and the pup is left to fend for itself.
Immediately after weaning her pup, the female is ready to mate again. Males fight for access to females in the water, and once a female is receptive, mating occurs. Each male-female pair is monogamous for the season, but the breeding season is short. Harp seals exhibit delayed implantation: after mating, the embryo does not immediately implant in the uterus; implantation occurs about 4.5 months later, followed by seven months of gestation. Consequently, females are effectively pregnant or lactating for nearly the entire year, from around five years of age until their late twenties or early thirties.
Harp seals are sexually mature at about five years for females and six years for males, and their characteristic harp-patterned coats develop gradually with age, fully evident in adult males by six years, while females may take 12–15 years to reach full adult markings.
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Harp Seal FAQs
Where do Harp Seals live?
Harp seals are Arctic Atlantic specialists, closely associated with pack ice. They are found from Greenland and Newfoundland to the Barents and Kara Seas of Russia. They have three main breeding populations: the White Sea, the West Ice (north of Jan Mayen in the Greenland Sea), and the Canadian population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off eastern Labrador. They undertake long spring migrations of up to 2,500 km - to reach summer feeding grounds and return south to their breeding areas each fall.
What do Harp seals eat?
Harp seals are carnivorous, feeding on fish and invertebrates. Their diet includes capelin, Arctic cod, cod, herring, halibut, as well as small crabs and other crustaceans, which are especially important for recently weaned pups.
How can you identify a Harp seal?
Coat pattern: Adults have the distinctive harp-shaped black markings on their silvery-grey backs; pups start as whitecoats, then become “beaters” with grey coats and black spots.
Face: They have a black face as adults.
Social behaviour: Harp seals are highly gregarious, often seen swimming in groups of 6–50, which is unusual for seals.
What makes Harp seals different from other Arctic seals?
Highly social: The only seal species frequently observed travelling and feeding in large groups.
Pack ice specialists: Almost entirely associated with Arctic ice, migrating seasonally.
Rapid pup growth: Pups gain weight extremely quickly due to high-fat milk.
Distinctive coat development: Adults develop the characteristic harp pattern over several years.
Are Harp seals endangered?
No. Harp seals are not endangered. The Canadian population is the largest, with around 7.3 million individuals, and globally they remain abundant. However, they are heavily hunted for fur, oil, and leather, and some regional populations are affected by hunting pressure and environmental changes.
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