Harp Seals only spend significant amounts of time on land during the mating and birthing season. Large-scale whaling in Antarctica began in the early 1900s and similarly saw the populations of many species nearly become extinct. Learn more about seal habitats, what seals eat, how long they live and other interesting information with our fun seal facts. Kids can learn interesting facts about seals in places like Antarctica by watching videos made by marine biologists, or they can take the fun facts about seals they learn in class with them in their heads the next time they visit a zoo close to home. Reports of abundant stocks drew the adventurous from the early 1800's onwards. KILLER WHALES LARGE TYPE B1 Orcinus orca STATUS Data Deficient LENGTH 23–31 ft DIET Seals, baleen whales, penguins. Only three phocid species—all of the monk seals—are tropical and they are all either highly endangered or, in two cases, extinct. Seals and Warmer Temperatures. Spotted seals are usually solitary, but can gather in large groups during the breeding season and when molting. Genetic analysis of Antarctic fur seals, alongside decades of in-depth monitoring, has provided unique insights into the effect of climate change on a population of top-predators. Elephant seals migrate in search of food, spending months at sea and often diving deep to forage. They return to their rookeries in winter to breed and give birth. Ringed seals rest, breed, molt and hunt from the arctic sea ice. The Antarctic fur seal for example was almost totally wiped out at many locations by 1830 leading to a decline in the sealing industry although it continued on a … The leopard seal is named for its black-spotted coat. (The spotted and harbor seals are the only living members of Phoca.) There are many different species including fur seals, sea lions, and common seals. Seals that wander away from the herd are referred to as “vagrants.” After being weaned, a Harp Seal pup’s teeth will not grow if it does not feed. Some seals make caves in the snow to live in. ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALE Balaenoptera musculus intermedia STATUS Critically Endangered LENGTH 88.5–110 ft DIET Krill. Mother Harp Seals can identify their own young in the thousands of a colony by their scent. Before long there were major crashes in the populations of some wildlife. Seals are found from polar to tropical waters. In the late 1700s, early explorers decimated many seal populations, almost wiping out species like the Antarctic fur seal. The majority of them live in the Antarctic Region so as the ice is melting so is their natural habitat. It is not considered as an endangered species, although commercial seal hunting is banned in the Antarctic region. They tend to have quite a generalized diet, hunting for a range of different fish, crustaceans, squid, mollusks and marine invertebrates, depending on what foods are abundant in their area. The pattern is similar to that of the famous big cat, though the seal's coat is gray rather than golden in color. All six seal species that breed in the Antarctic are covered. SEI WHALE Balaenoptera borealis STATUS Endangered LENGTH 49–52.5 ft DIET Krill with small fish, squid, copepods. Several types of sea mammals and sea birds do come to Antarctica's beaches, to breed. Male and female spotted seals remain together for the breeding season. There are no animals native to or that live on the Antarctic continent. When the natural climate out there changes due to global warming, it can definitely affect seals. True seals typically live in the cold ocean waters of the Arctic or off the coasts of Antarctica. It gets its name from the dark, grey-ringed patches on its back. The ringed seal is the smallest Arctic seal, and one of the smallest of all seal species. Its average length is 5 ft. (1.5m). Large-scale whaling in Antarctica began in … Yes some seals are endangered. Bearded seals were given U.S. endangered species protections in 2012 due to climate change. Its undersides are pale grey / white. The hunt for Whales and seals was the reason for the initial exploration of Antarctica. The greatest diversity and abundance among seals and sea lions are found at temperate and polar latitudes.