#Phoca vitulina

[fyanimaldiversity]

Albino harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)

@ René Pop

[snototter]

A harbor seal and her pup (Phoca vitulina) in Estero Bluffs State Park, California, USA

by marlin harms

[namu-the-orca]

Those other marine mammals

For the UK bycatch project, I also had to illustrate some other species than the cetaceans I am so familiar with. Animals with legs and fur and nails... foreign concepts for sure. Jokes aside, it's always a challenge to illustrate a species you don't really know. I always wonder whether a seal or otter scientist would also approve of these, or if mistakes would immediately jump out to them (like they do for me with cetacean illustrations).

I don't really like how the harbour seal turned out, it looks too much like a stuffed animal to me. And the grey seal was a challenge because frankly, those males in real life look like weird muppets. So when drawing you're constantly torn between "does it look weird because I'm messing up or because I'm doing well?" haha. In the end I'm happy with it though! And the otter I'm very fond of. Such keen eyed creatures, I hope to see one in the wild some day.

[girlinlovewiththeforest]

Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina)

[podartists]

The Seal (Phoca vitulina) | Animal portraiture (1912) | Biodiversity Heritage Library | Flickr | Public domain

[unofficial-sean]

Phoca vitulina

1) A mother and her pup.

2) A warm hug between mates.

[animalids]

Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi)

Photo by Marlin Harms

[lightningspam-photography]

Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)

taken at the Los Angeles Zoo in Los Angeles, California

status: least concern

The harbor seal at the LA zoo! Have always wanted to photograph this adorable guy but haven't been able to until now. These are some of the most widely distributed pinnipeds, so much so that their other name is the Common Seal.

[tenth-sentence]

Gray, Harbor, and Northern Elephant Seals engage in a wide variety of nonprocreative heterosexual behaviors.

"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" - Bruce Bagemihl

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Rolling can become quite vigorous as the two animals spiral synchronously underwater and at the surface (often in a vertical position), sometimes gently mouthing or biting each other's neck, chasing each other's flippers, yelping and snarling, blowing streams of bubbles underwater, or slapping the surface of the water.

"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" - Bruce Bagemihl

[fyanimaldiversity]

Begging you for some pinnipeds any pinnipeds please

Piebald Northern fur seal

Atypical colored Antarctic fur seal! With the orange, white, and grey they look calico.

Leucistic Antarctic fur seal

Interesting gang of Antarctic fur seal, one is leucistic and one almost looks brindle?

Leucistic southern elephant seal

Northern fur seal labeled as albino and partial albino (leucistic?) by some sources. NOAA says albino and they are experts.

Albino harbor seal

Albino ringed seal

Melanistic grey seal

[montereybayaquarium]

It's the most pupperful time of the year!

March through May is harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) pupping season and we’re lucky enough to have a seal rookery—a nursery for moms and pups—right in our backyard at Hopkins Beach.

Pups stay with their mothers for the first 4-6 weeks of their life. During this crucial bonding time, the pups learn to swim and forage before being weaned and venturing out on their own.

⚠ PSA ⚠ (Public Seal Announcement)

🏝️Give them space and share the shore. Please keep your distance and always remember to stay at least 100 yards away. 

❌🤳To minimize stress on our blubbery buddies during an already stressful time (new parents out there, you know what’s up), remember to keep the area quiet, and (sorry!) no sealfies with seals. 

💙Come on down to the bay and explore the wonder that is harbor seal pupping season.

[chilirasbora]

Harbor seal | Phoca vitulina

Gray seal | Halichoerus grypus

Spotted seal | Phoca largha

What do all of these seals have in common? Homosexuality has been observed in all three species! Happy pride!

🏳️‍🌈, 🏳️‍🌈, 🏳️‍🌈

[asterwild]

harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)

(pins!)

[realkaijuhavecurves]

As promised, pic of the Round Friends(TM) we spotted yesterday. It turned out only one of the pictures my friend took was upload-worthy, but it's better than nothing!

These are harbor seals (Phoca Vitulina), one of the three seal species which can be found here in Sweden.