Harbor seals can grow up to 5-6 ft. long, which is also the average height of an adult human! Harbor seals may be tiny at birth, weighing only about 24 pounds, but when they are adults, they can weigh up to 180 to 285 pounds! Harbor seals’ bodies are built for the water, which is where they spend most of their time. Their narrow nostrils can easily close when they dive deep in the water, and they don’t have ear flaps, helping them stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. Although harbor seals usually travel alone instead of in groups, they are very playful and active!

Harbor seals can be found on any coastline across the Northern hemisphere (like Alaska, New England, and more) but they can sometimes live in Southern areas like the coast of California. New York has a big harbor seal population that stay mostly along the shores of Long Island and Staten Island.

Harbor seals in the wild and harbor seals in zoos do not have the exact same diet. While Harbor seals in the wild typically eat shellfish, squid, octopus, and certain types of fish that remain close to the shore, Harbor Seals in the Central Park Zoo are typically fed herring and capelin.

Plastic and waste in the ocean are a big issue that harbor seals and many other animals in their same ecosystem face. There is so much waste in the ocean that a patch of the ocean twice the size of Texas is completely covered in trash! Harbor seals can get caught in trash thrown in the water by humans. Getting caught can make it hard for the harbor seals to swim because they can’t move their flippers under the weight of the trash. Sometimes harbor seals may eat plastics, mistaking it for food. Harbor seals’ bodies are not built to break down plastics, which can hurt their digestive system. You can help harbor seals avoid this problem by taking out trash you find in the water safely with the help of an adult, and dispose of them properly. Remember to recycle plastics and other waste you may find!

Sometimes, chemicals enter bodies of water, like oil and waste from factories. These chemicals are dangerous for harbor seals, because they build up in the blubber of the seals. This means the chemicals can enter the harbor seals’ bodies, harming their health. Oil can also stick to the fur of harbor seals, and it is very hard to clean off. Harbor seals need their fur to be clean to help keep them warm. You can make a big difference by telling an adult to call the authorities about chemical spills, or protesting against companies that do not follow rules about keeping chemicals away from the ocean.

While spotting a harbor seal in the wild may be a very exciting experience for us humans, harbor seals may be frightened or stressed if we come too close to them. Harbor seals need some personal space! It’s good to stay at least 150 feet away from them. If a harbor seal is stranded or hurt, have an adult contact the New York Stranding Hotline at 631-369-9829.