Antarctic Fur Seal

Name: Antarctic Fur Seal (Arctocephalus gazella)

Length: 2 metres.

Weight: 90 to 215 kg, males being larger.

Location: Southern Ocean near the Antarctic Convergence, mainly breeding on South Georgia and other sub-Antarctic islands.

Conservation status: Least Concern.

Diet: Krill, squid, fish, penguins.

Appearance: Brown with lighter tones in juveniles and females. They belong to the Otariidae family, having visible ears.

How do Antarctic Fur Seals feed?

Krill makes up about 95% of their diet. They consume around a ton of krill annually. The deepest dive recorded is 180 metres, lasting up to 10 minutes, but they typically dive for about 4 minutes at 30 metres depth.

Are Antarctic Fur Seals social?

Generally solitary outside of mating season, but can gather in large numbers on beaches during autumn and early winter.

How fast do Antarctic Fur Seals move?

They can reach speeds of up to 20 km per hour on land and swim even faster.

What are Antarctic Fur Seal birthing rituals like?

Breeding season starts in late October. Males fight for harems of up to 20 females. After establishing a harem, males stay on land for up to 2 months. Females give birth in November or December and mate again about a week later. Pups are nursed for about 4 months and learn to swim before staying at sea until maturity.

How long do Antarctic Fur Seals live?

Males live about 15 years, while females live around 25 years.

How many Antarctic Fur Seals are there today?

Estimates are rough, with the population guessed to be over 2,000,000 to 4,000,000.

Do Antarctic Fur Seals have any natural predators?

They are hunted by Sharks and Killer Whales. Pups are vulnerable to Leopard Seals.

7 Attractive Antarctic Fur Seal Facts

• Named gazella after the German vessel SMS Gazelle, which first collected them from Kerguelen Island.
• They have visible ears, unique among Antarctic seals.
• They live in the "Antarctic Convergence," a nutrient-rich zone between the frigid Antarctic and temperate northern waters.
• South Georgia Island hosts the densest marine animal population due to these seals.
• One of nine species of Fur Seals, nearly hunted to extinction for their fur. Their population recovered due to the reduction in whale competition for krill.
• They can walk on land by turning their rear flippers into "feet."
• In the early 20th century, only a few hundred remained on South Georgia Island due to hunting. Now, they number in the hundreds of thousands to millions during breeding.