North American Mammal - Harbor seal | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

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Phoca vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Harbor seal diorama in the North American Mammal Hall

Scene:

California Coast south of Monterey

Background artist:

J. Robert Sewell

Also present:

Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva),
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala),
Heerman's Gull (Larus heermanni)

When feeding, harbor seals typically remain submerged for up to 10 minutes and reach depths of 160 feet. However they are able to dive for up to 60 minutes and to descend more than 1,000 feet.

Biological Information

Range:

Coastal North America: Long Island to Arctic Ocean and Baja California to western Alaska

Habitat:

Near shore, sheltered bays, river estuaries

Status:

Common where undisturbed

Diet:

Fish (tom cod, hake, sculpin), squid, shrimp

Further information about this species may be found on the Animal Diversity Web page for harbor seal.

Public Service Notice