Shore Buddies Wisdom Wednesday
Photo by Justin Hofman
Seals spend much of their life in water! Their thick fur and blubber offer protection against freezing temperatures. Seals have more blood in their body than other animals. Since blood cells keep the oxygen, seal can dive longer than other animals. Seal can hold its breath for 2 hours which is a record in the animal world. They can dive up to 1000-1300 feet deep when they are searching for food.They eat squids and fish usually. When they dive, they decrease the heart rate for 50-80%. Elephant seals will decrease the number of heart beats from 112 to 20-50 during diving. Seals have whiskers that help them detect the vibration of the prey under water. Their worst enemies are orca, white bears and sharks.
The largest seal is the Southern elephant seal that can reach 13 feet in length and weight up to 2 tones. The smallest seal is the Galapagos fur seal that has 4 feet in length and weighs only 65 pounds. When they are on the land, they live in huge colonies with over thousand seals. They mate, give birth, and care for their babies on shore. Seal produce milk with 50% fats. Their babies gain 3-5 pounds daily thanks to that milk. Seals can live up to 30 years!
https://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/seal_facts/13/