Species: Halichoerus grypus
Geographic Range: coastal waters throughout the North Atlantic Ocean
Size: 550–880 lb pounds
Lifespan: up to 35 years
Conservation Status: In addition to their status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, gray seals are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Como Harbor Seal’s name is Wallace
Find them in Como Harbor or the Aquatic Animals Building
Fun Facts
- Male gray seals have a distinctively arched Roman nose, which gives them their other common name — horsehead seal.
- Females lack the distinctive arched nose and are more delicately featured.
- These true seals lack the extremely dense underfur that eared seals possess; gray seals only have a few secondary hairs as opposed to the 50 or so found in fur seals.
- The world population of gray seals is estimated at about 300,000 animals.
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