The bearded seal is a large seal that is 7-8 feet (2.1-2.4 m) in length. It is at its heaviest during winter and early spring, when it can weigh as much as 750 pounds (340 kg). In the summer and early fall, it weighs 475 to 525 pounds (215-238 kg). The female is a little larger than the male.
The bearded seal has gray to brown fur and squared-off front flippers with strong claws that it uses to open breathing holes in the ice. It has a round head, small eyes, and a large, wide muzzle with bristly white whiskers.
Bearded seal pups may have a black stripe running up the middle of their forehead.
The bearded seal prefers shallow arctic waters less than 500 feet (152 m) deep. It is found on patches of floating ice. In the summer months, it may climb onto rocky beaches.
The bearded seal uses its sensitive whiskers to locate prey like fish, crabs, shrimp, clams, and snails.
The bearded seal mates in May. Groups of up to 50 bearded seals may gather together. Males sing to attract females, and males occasionally fight over a female.
Females give birth to a single pup 11 months after mating. The pup weighs about 70 pounds (32 kg) at birth. Its eyes are open, and it is covered in blue to brown fur.
The pup swims shortly after birth and quickly puts on weight. It nurses for 12 to 18 days. By the time the nursing period is over, it will have almost tripled its weight to about 185 pounds (84 kg). Females mate again as early as two weeks after their pup is weaned.
The bearded seal has a lifespan of around 25 years in the wild.
Except for the breeding season, the bearded seal is a solitary animal. In the spring, male bearded seals “sing” underwater songs that can be heard by humans on the surface. The song is probably used to attract a mate and establish territory.
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In North America, the bearded seal is found in northern coastal waters and shallow seas from Alaska to Labrador, Canada, and Greenland. It has a circumpolar and is also found in the northern coastal arctic waters of Europe and Asia.
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