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Harp Seal
Pagophilius groenlandicus
44.5252, -68.2708
Field Notes
Description:
Harp seals go through three pelage stages: the totally white coat of the newborn, the silvery coat with scattered large dark spots (5 weeks old to maturity) shown in the photograph, and the dark face and dark harp pattern on the back of the mature seal.
Habitat:
They give birth on the ice flows around Labrador, Greenland and the Arctic ocean and their range is recorded as being mostly in that area. But for several years many subadults and fewer adults have made their way as far south as the Jersey shore. They show up in the Gulf of Maine regularly during the winter months.
Notes:
This youngster was on an ice floe in way up in a tidal estuary.
It is a young female. If you look very carefully, just below where her belly button is you can see the two recessed nipples!
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