Northern Fur Seals

Male northern fur seals can be up to nine times larger than females. Males average a length of 2 metres and weigh between 175-275 kg, whereas females average 1.3 m in length and weigh about 40 kg.

Northern fur seals are distributed between the Bering Sea and the Northern Pacific Ocean, inhabiting both the open ocean and island beaches for resting and breeding.

The northern fur seal’s diet primarily consists of fish, such as pollock, salmon, sand lance, herring, anchovy and squids. Fur seals feed mainly at night, diving up to 200 m in depth to capture fishes and squids.

They are sociable creatures, forming large groups which can house thousands of seals, making for an exciting environment! On land, northern fur seals may exhibit aggression and are often territorial of their land, especially during the breeding season.

A northern fur seal’s breeding season lasts from June to October. Females nurse their pups for roughly four months, weaning them off to migrate and join larger groups of seals. Females can give birth to as many as 20 pups in their life, however roughly 70 percent of pups do not survive to the age of two. This is due to various causes, including starvation and diseases.

Male northern fur seals can live up to 18 years, while females can live up to 27 years.

Northern fur seals are classified as a threatened species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. They have historically been hunted for their fur, but are protected under the Marine Mammal Regulations of the Fisheries Act of Canada, which makes it illegal to hunt northern fur seals.