How do harbor seals get their food

Pinnipeds spend part of their lives in the water but depend on land to give birth and raise young. The term "pinniped" comes from the Latin word "pinna" meaning winged and "ped" meaning foot. WA Department of Ecology. Diet: Harbor Seals are carnivorous meat eater. They primarily prey upon fish such as anchovy, sea bass, herring, cod, whiting and flatfish. They also feed on shrimp, mollusks and squid. Harbor seals do not chew their food; they either tear it into chunks or swallow it whole.

Behavior: Harbor seals are curious but shy animals that prefer quiet, unpopulated areas. Seals like to "haul out" on protected beaches, spits, bars, rocks and log rafts to bask in the sun and sleep.

At the slightest sign of danger they will slip back into the water and swim away. Harbor seals often haul out at low tide to rest, digest food, give birth, or nurse their young. Most of their prey consists of sand eels, whiting, cod, herring and bottom-dwelling species such as flounder, octopus and crustaceans.

They need to eat about 4kg of food per day 5 per cent of their bodyweight and prefer small prey items of around cm long. We have only recently begun to understand how common seals catch their prey, particularly in dark or turbid water. Experiments on blindfolded individuals suggest that they use their long, sensitive whiskers to follow the wake left by schools of fish, attempting to then single out and grab an individual.

One way to arrive at this estimate is to radio tag seals in the area, prior to conducting a survey. When the survey is conducted, the proportion of radio-tagged seals that are not hauled out provides a correction factor to estimate the total seal population e. Harbor seals are listed as an Alaska Species of Special Concern. A Species of Special Concern is any species or subspecies of fish or wildlife or population of mammal or bird native to Alaska that has entered a long-term decline in abundance or is vulnerable to a significant decline due to low numbers, restricted distribution, dependence on limited habitat resources, or sensitivity to environmental disturbance.

Dramatic declines in harbor seal numbers have been documented in Alaska, including a decline from approximately 11, seals to 1, seals during on Tugidak Island near Kodiak — a site previously considered to host one of the largest concentrations of harbor seals in the world. That decline resulted in the listing of Alaskan harbor seals as a species of special concern by the Marine Mammal Commission.

Although seal numbers in the Kodiak area have been steadily increasing since the early s and seal numbers in PWS began to stabilize and show signs of increase in , both populations remain severely depressed compared to pre-decline population levels. Seals in Glacier Bay continue to decline at a precipitous rate despite conservation measures in place to control vessel traffic, commercial fishing, and subsistence harvest. The declines and lack of substantial recovery of some harbor seal populations in Alaska contrasts sharply with other parts of the world, where the species has proven to be resilient and capable of fairly rapid recovery from perturbations.

There is no evidence that movements of seals between areas can explain these declines; the cause is unknown, but multiple factors are likely involved. Harbor seals appear to have responded severely to changes in carrying capacity and therefore may be particularly sensitive indicators of future change, such as ocean warming.

The most common predator of harbor seals is the killer whale. Other predators include sharks, sea lions, land predators such as wolves, bears and coyotes, and bald eagles may take newborn pups. Harbor seals play a crucial role in the culture and diet of Alaska Natives; the annual subsistence harvest of harbor seals in Alaska is about1, to 2, animals, with fewer seals harvested in recent years.

The harbor seal's ability to damage or remove salmon from gillnets has caused conflicts between seals and commercial fishers in Alaska. This behavior creates economic losses for fishers and often fosters an antagonistic attitude toward seals. The Copper River Delta, the mouths of the Stikine and Taku rivers, and portions of Bristol Bay are areas with notable harbor seal-fishery conflicts.

Sometimes seals are caught and killed or injured in fishing gear, primarily in gillnets and occasionally in crab pots.

Harbor seals are a highly visible species and a popular sight on wildlife-viewing tours, especially those that occur in glacial fjords. Because of a diet comprised of fish, many of which also have commercial value, resource use by harbor seals often involves interactions with commercial and sport fishing industries in Alaska. While viewing marine mammals, your actions should not cause a change in the behavior of the animals.

Individual animal's reactions will vary; carefully observe all animals in the vicinity. Assume that your action is a disturbance and cautiously leave the vicinity if you observe behaviors such as these:.

Their meat, organs, and oil from their blubber are important parts of the diet of many Alaska Natives. Their hide is used to make many items of clothing and handicrafts. The annual subsistence harvest of harbor seals in Alaska is about 1, to 2, animals, with fewer seals harvested in recent years.