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DESTINATIONS
Cure for Cabin Fever
Harbor Seals
The winter sea is such an alien environment to humans, where the frigid
water can kill in mere moments; the idea of life akin to ours, thriving
in the bitter gales and whitecaps, seems unreal. But when
the round head of a seal breaks the sullen gray water and turns shoreward,
and you find yourself staring into its liquid eyes, there is a jolt of
recognition — warm-blooded mammal to mammal — that for an instant transcends
the differences. Then the seal sinks, the link breaks, and you are again
a land-bound creature.
Blubber-Blanketed Torpedos
Of course, the winter ocean is a presumably comforting home to the seal,
which is well fitted to this harsh environment. The harbor seal — the
most common species by far on the Northeast coast — is built like a torpedo,
with powerful hind flippers that propel it through the water at remarkable
speeds, and down to depths as great as 200 fathoms. The cold water would
be as dangerous to a seal as to a human were it not for the seal's blubber
layer, which provides insulation, a fat reserve, and buoyancy all in one
thick blanket.
Harbor seals are true, or earless, seals, differing from fur seals and
sea lions in their lack of external ear pinnea ("ear lobes") and having
flippers that cannot be turned forward when on land; as a result, a true
seal must inch forward on its belly like a giant caterpillar whenever
it hauls out of the water, as it does regularly to rest.
Seal Socialization
In summer, harbor seals can be found from New Hampshire and southern Maine
north to the edge of the Arctic ice, and they are a common sight among
the lobster buoys of the New England coast. In winter they retreat south,
however, as far as Long Island (and occasionally much farther than that,
to the Carolinas and Florida). Even in summer they are somewhat social,
gathering in small groups on offshore ledges exposed by the falling tide,
but in winter they may congregate in much greater numbers. One of the
largest gatherings of harbor seals in the United States occurs late each
winter along North and South Monomoy Island, south of Cape Cod's elbow
— up to three thousand seals, loafing and feeding as they wait for spring.
Resting on the
beach
Distinguishing Characteristics
Harbor seals are rather small, with males less than 6 feet long and females
less than 5 feet; the average weight is less than 200 pounds. Dull and
blotched as a sea boulder crusted with lichen, the harbor seal's coat
(if seen in good light) is an attractive wash of grayish brown, marked
with an intricate pattern of spots and mottlings. Individuals vary widely,
however, from dark brown to bleached blonde.
Harbor Seal vs. Homo Sapien
Fish make up most of a harbor seal's diet, and that has long brought them
into conflict with people. They have been heavily persecuted on the Northeast
coast, mostly by fishermen who accuse them of cutting into their catch;
bounties were paid in some states until the 1960s, and led to the seals'
extermination in many areas. Federal protection has brought an increase
in seal numbers, and although they no longer breed in much of their southern
range, there is hope that they may recolonize those areas as well. A growing
problem is human harassment — much of it unintentional — from recreational
boaters such as sea kayakers. This harassment forces breeding seals into
marginal calving sites where they are more exposed to storms and predators
such as sharks.
A Horsehead Seal of a Different Color
Although almost all of the seals along the winter coast are harbor seals,
there is also a chance of spotting one of the much larger and rarer gray
seals, or"horseheads." As the nickname suggests, the shape of the head
is the main distinguishing characteristic. Harbor seals have rounded heads
with short, doglike muzzles, while gray seals (which may be twice the
length and four times the bulk of a harbor seal) have long, drooping muzzles,
a sort of Roman nose effect that is very distinctive. Gray seals breed
in February in the Canadian Maritimes, and few wanderers will be found
south of the breeding colonies at this time of year — although the possibility
is always tantalizing.
| Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: New England & New York
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