Weddell seals are known for their docile nature and are easily approached by humans.
Weddell seals spend much of their time below the Antarctic ice.
They have the southernmost range of any seal, but find the chilly waters
rich with the prey they seek. These seals do not migrate often and are
commonly found within a few miles of their birthplace.
By swimming
under the ice, these seals can often avoid their main predators—orcas
and leopard seals. The environment helps their own fishing as well. When
feeding below the ice, they may dive beneath their prey. As the seal
rises, the fish above it are backlit by the ice above and easily spotted
in silhouette. Weddell seals can also use air to collect a meal. They
have been known to blow air into cracks in the ice. The surprise tactic
puts small fish to flight, which the seal then devours. Cod and
silverfish are favorites, though these seals also eat small crustaceans,
octopuses, and other marine creatures.
Weddell seals can dive up
to 2,000 feet (610 meters) down and stay under for up to 45 minutes. But
no matter how deep they dive, like all marine mammals, they must
surface to breathe. If natural openings are not available, Weddell seals
use their teeth to open and maintain air holes in the ice pack.
Weddell
seals are very vocal. Their calls can be heard from atop the ice even
when seals themselves are below. The seals "haul out" onto the ice to
rest, molt, or give birth. Females usually have one pup in September or
October. These young are silver or golden (their parents are gray) and
can swim by two weeks of age.
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Mammal
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Average life span in the wild:
- 30 years
- Size:
- 10 ft (3 m)
- Weight:
- 1,200 lbs (544 kg)
- Group name:
- Pod
- Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
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