Summary ²

Harbor seals, Phoca vitulina, are found along the northern coasts of North America, Europe, and Asia (1). They are native to California’s coast and are found in both marine and terrestrial habitats, including lagoons, kelp forests, estuaries, beaches, and rocky coastlines (2). Harbor seals have a torpedo-like body shape and short flippers (1). Their fur is covered in dark spots and can vary from white, silver, dark gray, and brown with a paler belly (3). Harbor seals can grow up to 1.9 m (6.3 ft) in length and weigh up to 168 kg (370 lb) (2). As generalist hunters, harbor seals eat a wide variety of fish, squid, octopus, and crustaceans (1). Unlike the barking California sea lion, harbor seals rarely make vocalizations, only occasionally hissing or growling when agitated. Harbor seals are considered to be weakly polygynous, meaning that they will sometimes form groups made up of females and juveniles that are dominated by one male.

Coal Oil Point Reserve Facts ²

At Coal Oil Point Reserve, harbor seals occupy the beach and rocky intertidal habitats. They can occasionally be observed lying on the beach at night. Harbor seals are very shy on land and may be scared back into the water if humans approach (1). Harbor seals are often confused with another species found on the reserve, the California sea lion. While these two species are both pinnipeds, meaning “flipper foot”, harbor seals have shorter flippers and lack ear flaps. Another way to distinguish between the two species is by looking at their fur color; California sea lions generally have a brown coat, while harbor seals have a white, gray, or brown spotted coat. Harbor seals are uncommon at the reserve.

References ²

1. Jefferson, T. A., Webber, M. A., & Pitman, R. L. (2008). Marine mammals of the world : a comprehensive guide to their identification (1st ed). Elsevier Science Publishing Co Inc.
2. Monterey Bay Aquarium. (n.d.). Harbor Seal. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/harbor-seal
3. NOAA Fisheries. (2022). Harbor Seal. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/harbor-seal

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Dan Roach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dan Roach
2. (c) copr, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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