The Seals of Antarctica

Antarctica & its seals have much in common – both are full of mystery and as alluring as forbidding. The seals of Antarctica are as much a draw for the curious traveler as the penguins. Let’s look at some of them…

Weddell seals

They reach a length of about 12 feet and a weight of 600 kg. That’s huge isn’t it? They live for about 30 years and hang out in a range of 50-100 kms from their ‘home base’. In summer, they roam around the sea eating fish, crabs, penguins and the like. When fed, they get on the ice to rest and breed. A content life, don’t you think? Winter is tough when the surface of the ocean becomes ice. They then use their teeth to carve holes in the ice to dive into the sea for food and come up for air when needed. Smart isn’t it? The holes need constant maintenance of course, else they freeze over. As the Weddell seals grow old, their teeth wear out and hence they can’t maintain their breathing holes – that’s possibly how they die…

Their communication calls are famously complicated and distinctive – some call it the sound of a spaceship in science fiction.

Crabeater seals – those that don’t live up to their name

The most common in the world. They can grow up to 7.5 feet in length and 200 kg in weight with an average life span of 20-40 years. By the way, the Crabeater seals don’t eat crabs! The name comes from the German word ‘Krebs’ which means crustaceans in general. They eat a lot of krill and have a great way of eating – they take in a mouthful of seawater and krill and then strain just the water out through their teeth…

Leopard seals – the Clint Eastwoods of Antarctica seals

They are the second-largest seals in Antarctica with maximum length of 11 feet and weight of 600 kg. And a lifespan of 15-25 years. They are the Clint Eastwood of seals – lone rangers, deadly hunters and non-picky eaters. These seals hunt and eat anything – krill, fish, penguins, even other seals…  This is one specie where the female is larger than the male…

Southern elephants – the big boys among Antarctica seals

These are the largest seals on the planet – the male can grow up to 19 feet in length and about 4000 kg! The female is far smaller. They have an average lifespan of 21 years. They are called elephant seals because the males have long snouts that look like the trunks of elephants. The males are a bit Sultan-like, with harems of 40-50 females which they defend from other males… in fights that can end in deaths.

The penguins of Antarctica are as interesting as the seals. Would you like to read more on how animals survive through adaptation in Antarctica?

Would you like to read more about Antarctica?

Interested in heading to Antarctica? Check out some of the trips to Antarctica with Beyonder Travel.

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