Weddell & Crabeater Seals in Antarctica!

How do Weddell Seals feed?
Weddell Seals can stay submerged for up to 80 minutes at a time. These prolonged dives are for both foraging and for finding new breathing holes in the ice above. They can dive over 600 meters down.

Part of their ability to dive for such long periods is due to their having more red blood cells and more blood volume than other comparable mammals, which allows them to carry more oxygen with them at any one time.

The Seals have excellent underwater vision, and it is thought that they swim below fish and look up, letting the light coming through the ice silhouette the fish.

During the dark winters they are able to find prey through the use of their whiskers which are extremely sensitive to movement.

Are Weddell Seals social?
Weddell Seals tend to congregate together around breathing holes made in the ice. They’ll stay together in the water during the Antarctic winters with just their noses poking out in order to avoid the harsh winter winds.

How fast do Weddell Seals swim?
The Weddell Seals’ swim speed is around 10km per hour.

What are Weddell Seal mating rituals like?
Weddell Seal females can mature sexually at around 3 years of age, but both females and males usually wait until they’re about 7.

Birthing season occurs from early September through November, depending on which latitude any particular Seal is located.

Mating season is very noisy – the Seals make noises loud enough to be heard through the ice. Actual mating occurs underwater, with the males often biting the female around the neck area.

The actual birth is very fast, usually taking less than 5 minutes. Weddell Seals are one of the few of the species that can give birth to twins.

Pups are around 1.25 meters at birth and weigh about 25kg. Like all mammals, the pups grow fat on their mother’s milk, gaining around 2kg in weight every day. By their 7th week the pups can weigh around 100kg.

During this time the mother doesn’t feed, so as the baby grows plumper the female grows thin, sometimes to the point of her ribs showing.

How long do Weddell Seals live?
Weddell Seals live 30 years on average.

Do Weddell Seals have any natural predators?
Weddell Seals are preyed upon by Killer Whales and Leopard Seals, the latter usually attacking the young.

6 Wonderful Weddell Seal Facts
Weddell Seals live the furthest south of any mammals.
Since Weddell Seals are the most studied of any Seal species in the Antarctic.
Weddell Seals are named after James Weddell, a British captain of a sealing vessel.
Weddell Seal females are generally a little bit longer and heavier than the males.
Weddell Seals have a membrane over their eyes that protect them from blowing snow and the salt in the ocean.
Nothing is known about the Weddell Seal’s ability to hear.

How do Crabeater Seals feed?
Crabeater Seals have a unique adaptation for feeding – they have evolved a sieve-like tooth structure that filter krill, somewhat like the baleens on Baleen Whales. They suck in water containing krill, close their jaws, and then force the water back out between their specialized teeth, trapping the krill inside. Krill make up to 95% of a Crabeater Seal’s diet.The Crabeaters do most of their feeding at night. They can dive as deep as 430 meters although feeding dives are usually around 30 meters. The hunt can last up to 16 hours, involving hundreds of dives.

How fast can Crabeater Seals move?
On land, Crabeater Seals have an almost snake-like method of movement, weaving their front and back ends back and forth in a curving motion. Through this method they can reach speeds of 25 km per hour for short bursts. In the water Crabeater Seals can reach speeds of almost 13 km per hour.

Do Crabeater Seals have any natural predators?
Crabeater Seal pups are preyed upon by Leopard Seals. Both the young and adults are taken by Killer Whales.

7 Captivating Crabeater Seal Facts
Crabeater Seals are probably the most abundant large mammal on Earth and by far the most numerous kind of seal in the world.
The scientific names of “Lobodon” and “carcinophaga” mean “lobe-toothed” and “crab eater” respectively. Despite the name, Crabeater Seals don’t eat Crabs.
Crabeater Seals bodies have been found remarkably far inland, over 100km from the shore.
Many Crabeater Seals have a number of scars on their bodies – results of run-ins with Leopard Seals.
Crabeater Seals will sometimes use the breathing holes in the ice made by Weddell Seals. Sometimes they’ll even chase younger Weddell Seals away for exclusive rights to a particular breathing hole.
If feeling threatened Crabeater Seals will snort, hiss, show their teeth, and roll over multiple times. This is probably a getaway tactic evolved to help evade Killer Whales and Leopard Seals.
The unique sieve-like teeth of the Crabeater Seal are considered to be the most specialized of any carnivore.

[TenorCantusFirmus]

Weddells: "Lovez to eatz and phibsh..."
Crabeaters: "Me preferz and kreell..."
Leopard seals: "No egg, thanks, I much prefer to directly eat PENGUINS!"
Ross': "Aneebodee noticez uz?..."

[hazeeqrazak]

"fatter and rounder"
Me:how they u fat shamed these cute mermaid doggos?! Apologies at ocne!

[AmericanPatriot]

"challenging but tasty Prey"😮😢 why would you want to harm them? are they not cute and adorable?

[hwelliot]

First of all, it’s not pronounced “whu-DELL, ” and second of all, shut up and let the seals talk. Seals are talking; you are not talking.