Grey seal, Atlantic grey seal, Atlantic gray seal, Horsehead seal
The Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or "earless seals". Its name is spelled Gray seal in the US; it is also known as Atlantic seal and the horsehead seal.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Pi
PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
Se
SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Na
NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
No
NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Vi
ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Pu
Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
Po
PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
Hi
Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
G
starts withThe Gray seal is distinguished from the smaller Harbor seal by its straight head profile, nostrils set well apart, and fewer spots on its body. Wintering hooded seals can be confused with grey seals as they are about the same size and somewhat share a large-nosed look but the hooded has a paler base colour and usually evidences a stronger spotting. Gray seals lack external ear flaps and characteristically have large snouts. Male grays have larger noses and a less curved profile than harbor seal bulls. Males are generally darker than females, with lighter patches and often scarring around the neck. Females are silver-grey to brown with dark patches.
Gray seals live on both coasts of the North Atlantic Ocean, in three separate populations: the western Atlantic group is found around the coast of Canada at north Labrador down as far as New England. Those of the eastern Atlantic population are found around the United Kingdom and Irish coasts and those of northwestern Russia as far north as the White Sea. There is a Baltic population in the Baltic Sea. These seals spend the majority of their lives in coastal waters; when on land, they occur on rocky coasts, islands, and sandbars, as well as on ice shelves and icebergs.
Gray seals are diurnal animals, being active during the day and sleeping at night. They gather in large groups for mating, popping, and molting. They do not eat during the breeding period, drawing from their blubber for nutrition. They also gather together in small groups on land to rest. When foraging, however, they dive alone or with a small group. A behavior that is commonly seen is ‘bottling’ when the seal is in a vertical position in the water with only its head up above the surface. Gray seals can be quite curious about humans and boats and will approach vessels and divers. Care must be exercised when observing seals on land as they may be aggressive, particularly during the breeding season. These seals do not migrate but they disperse widely after the mating season.
Gray seals are carnivores (piscivores). They feed on a wide variety of fish, mostly benthic or demersal species, taken at depths down to 70 m (230 ft) or more. Sand eels are important in their diet in many localities. Cod and other gadids, flatfish, herring, wrasse, and skates are also important locally. However, Gray seals will eat whatever is available, including octopus and lobsters.
Gray seals tend to be polygynous, with males in competition to mate. Successful males mate with between 2 and 10 females, but in areas such as ice or sand where females are not so close together, one male will often mate with just one female. The mating season of the gray seal occurs from mid-December until October, depending upon where the population is located. After a gestation of 11 months, females bear one pup the day after coming to shore at the rookery. Pups are nursed for 3 weeks and will remain on land until molting has taken place, living off its reserves of blubber, and then it will feed out at sea. The young generally disperse in different directions from their rookery and can wander distances of more than 1,000 km. A female gray seal is ready to breed when it is about 4 years old, while males are ready between 3 and 8 years old.
Gray seals can be legally shot as pests, as many fishermen believe that they provide competition for fish, posing a threat to stocks of fish and that they also damage traps and nets. Illegal shooting also takes place. They are also threatened by chemical and oil pollution and often become entangled in fishing nets, which can be fatal.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Gray seal is about 632,000 individuals or about 316,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are increasing.