Seals, walrus, and sea lions and fur seals are part of a group of animals called Pinnipedia, which comes from the Latin word meaning “fin-footed.” In general, pinnipeds have streamlined, submarine-shaped bodies that slip through the water easily. They are mammals- meaning they are warm blooded, breathe air through lungs, give birth to live young, nurse their babies, and have hair covering their bodies. The easiest way to tell a seal from a sea lion is to look at their flippers.

Facts about the Harbor Seals
Sea lions and fur seals have front and back flippers that can be used to walk on land. They propel themselves through the water with their front flippers and steer with their back. They also have small ears that you can see. Harbor seals propel themselves through the water with their back flippers and steer with their front. They do not have “ears” that you can see – they have small holes on the side of their heads.

Our seals are Harbor seals, they are found all over the world in coastal waters. They are not migratory animals. They are strong swimmers and can dive over 300 feet and hold their breath for up to 30 minutes. Watch them as they swim through the water, they steer with their front flippers and use their rear flippers to propel themselves. When they walk on land they use their front flippers and stomach muscles to move on land.

At the Zoo, we have two Harbor seals, Pearl and Toney. Pearl was born in 1989 and Toney was born in 2002. Toney came to live at the FCZ in 2004. Toney traveled from Sea World in Orlando, Florida. These types of Harbor seals can live up to 30 years in captivity.

Females are smaller than males, they eat only 8 pounds of fish a day. The male eats 10 pounds of fish a day. At feeding time the keeper asks the seals to do go through certain steps to get their food – this behavioral conditioning make it possible for our keepers or our veterinarian to do routine physical check-ups everyday.

The seals stay in their exhibit all year. The water circulation system keeps their pool from freezing. To guard against cold water temperatures, seals maintain a thick layer of fat beneath their skin to keep them warm. The fat under the skin is called blubber. Even on the coldest days, they can be seen swimming around the pool and hauling themselves out to sit poolside for awhile.
All pinnipeds can open and close their noses. When Pearl and Toney come up to the surface they open their nostrils to breathe. The moment they relax their nose muscles, the nostrils snap shut to keep water out.

Seals will eat anything in their pool – including pennies and garbage. These things can kill seals when swallowed because they can remain in their body and are never digested or eliminated. That’s why if you ever see something throw or dropped into the water you should report it immediately.