About
Name: Bearded Seal, Square Flipper Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
Length: 2 to 3 metres.
Weight: 200 to 450 kg, females being larger.
Location: Arctic Ocean.
Conservation status: Least Concern.
Diet: Fish, clams, squid, octopi.
Appearance: Dark grey or greyish-brown, distinguished by their whiskers. They have small heads, large bodies, and square fore-flippers.
How do Bearded Seals feed?
Bearded Seals are benthic feeders, foraging along the ocean floor. Adults stay in shallow bays, while juveniles may dive up to 450 metres in deeper waters.
Are Bearded Seals social?
Bearded Seals are generally solitary animals.
What are Bearded Seal birthing rituals like?
Mating season occurs right after birthing season. Males often return to the same territory annually, singing to attract females or ward off rivals. Bearded Seals use delayed implantation, with a two-month delay before the embryo starts developing, leading to a nine-month active pregnancy. Pups are born in April or May on ice floes, weigh about 35 kg, and enter the water shortly after birth. They stay with their mothers for 2-3 weeks, gaining over 3 kg per day, reaching around 100 kg by weaning.
How long do Bearded Seals live?
Bearded Seals live about 25 years in the wild.
How many Bearded Seals are there today?
No recent population counts exist; estimates from the 1970s and 80s place the population around 750,000.
Do Bearded Seals have any natural predators?
They are preyed upon by Polar Bears and Killer Whales, with pups occasionally taken by Walruses.
7 Bountiful Bearded Seal Facts
- The name erignathus comes from Greek words meaning "heavy jaw," and barbatus refers to their whiskers.
- Bearded Seals are part of the "true seal" or "earless" seal family.
- Inuit highly valued their tough skin for making various items like shoes, boat covers, and tents.
- They are the largest of the Arctic seals.
- A male's song can be heard up to 20 km away.
- Bearded Seals avoid areas above 80°N despite being Arctic animals.
- They have 4 nipples, a feature shared only with Monk Seals.
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