Weddell Seals

Weddell seals are earless seals which live under the permanent ice that surrounds the Antarctic coast. There they are fairly safe from predators such as killer whales and leopard seals.

Both adult males and females are about 3metres long and weigh around 400-500kilograms. The head is small and the colour is usually blackish grey on the back with a paler underside.

Weddell seals breathe air through cracks and holes in the ice. There are many cracks in the ice during the warmer summer months. During winter these openings freeze over and the seals use their teeth to scrape open the new ice to make holes through which to breathe. This wears down their teeth over the years to the extent that they may eventually be unable to feed or keep the air holes open.

In the darkness under the ice, their navigation skills must be very accurate in order to find breathing holes before they run out of breath.

Weddell seals come out onto the ice to rest and moult, and for females to give birth. When out on the ice, they stay close to the hole they came out of.

During the breeding season males defend underwater territories from other males for access to breathing holes and females. Pups are born in October weighing 25-30kg. Their mothers care for them for six weeks, during which time they grow to 110-140kg.

Weddell seals are carnivores. Their food varies according to the season and location, but fish, octopus and prawns are their common food. The seals are able to remain underwater for up to 45 minutes, diving to about 720m in search of prey. Long shallow dives are probably exploration dives searching for new ice holes and food sources.

Elephant seals...Leopard seals...Australian fur seals... Crabeater seals

Click here to see photos of Antarctic seals

If you use any part of this, acknowledge it in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham & Thomas Antarctic Animals . [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2007)

updated  © [2007] kidcyber