Harbour Seals: New Brunswick’s Lovable Hunks of Blubber
Harbour Seals: New Brunswick’s Lovable Hunks of Blubber
WRITTEN BY ASH NOBLE, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
With our annual Great Fundy Coastal Cleanup on the horizon and the federal government’s recent proposal of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along the Bay of Fundy, we at the Nature Trust of New Brunswick have the protection of our coastal ecosystems and the species that call them home on the brain these days. One of these many marine creatures is the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), a staple species of the Bay of Fundy.
The most widely distributed species of pinniped (meaning fin or flipper-footed and referring to marine mammals that have front and rear flippers), harbour seals are found globally in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Baltic and North seas. In N.B., these mammals are abundant along the Fundy coast and around the Wolves Archipelago, where these hunks of blubber love to play, feed, and live around the sheltered coves!
A group (otherwise known as a “raft”) of harbour seals pictured hauled out along the rocks at our South Wolf Island Nature Preserve
Although harbour seals are common, their colouration can be extremely varied, ranging from uniform brown or black to nearly yellowish white with variations of dark and light irregular spots. There is also some variation between adult female and male seals, as females tend to weigh up to 70 kg (150 lbs) while males can weigh up to 90 kg (200 lbs).
Another important feature that distinguishes harbour seals and other members of the Phocidae family (which comprises all earless seals) is the lack of external ear flaps. All true or earless seals have ear holes and small front flippers, while species like fur seals and sea lions (known as eared seals) have external ear flaps. In mid to late summer, usually around June or August, harbour seals will also molt or shed their hair, spending more time out of the water.
Like many sea creatures, the diet of harbour seals is very broad. They feed on various species of fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and invertebrates, completing both shallow and deep dives while hunting. In fact, harbour seals can plunge an incredible 300 feet, stay underwater for up to 28 minutes, and can even sleep underwater for short periods of time! While swimming, harbour seals will move their flippers back and forth like a fish tail to propel themselves through the water.
Perhaps one of their most defining characteristics is the way that harbour seals move on land. Because their pelvic bones are fused together, seals must move by undulating in a caterpillar-like motion, flopping along the beaches and rocks that they frequent and providing an adorable sight for any onlooker.
An aerial shot of harbour seals hauled out along the rocks at our Thomas B. Munro Memorial Shoreline, taken by J. Edward Hurley.
If you’ve ever visited the Fundy shore, one of our coastal or island nature preserves, or gone whale watching, you might have been lucky enough to see these seals swimming along or hauled out on the shore catching some sun. After a successful dive, these amazing marine creatures like to "haul out" on protected beaches, spits, bars, rocks and log rafts to rest, digest food, give birth, or nurse their young. In areas like the Bay of Fundy, with high tidal influence, haul out sites are exposed as the tide goes out. Most seals will remain relatively stationary between one or two haul out sites and are generally non-migratory.
If you are eager to spot some harbour seals this summer, many of our nature preserves provide essential habitats for these animals! According to the 2024 Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (ACCDC) species records, harbour seals were spotted at three of our coastal and publicly accessible preserves:
Beldings Reef Nature Preserve near Chance Harbour;
Sea Dog Cove Nature Preserve, spanning the Kingston Peninsula ; and
Thomas B. Munro Memorial Shoreline at the northern tip of Grand Manan.
Like all marine animals, harbour seals depend on a clean, healthy environment to grow and thrive. This is supported by recent research conducted by ACAP Saint John who cite mortality due to fishing gear (groundfish gillnets, herring weirs, etc.) and contaminants such as heavy metal and plastic debris as potential threats to harbour seal populations in the Bay of Fundy.
Our Great Fundy Coastal Cleanup (GFCC), an annual province-wide movement to eliminate marine debris, is dedicated to keeping these coastal habitats safe and viable for the wildlife that call our shorelines home, including harbour seals. If you sign up for one of our GFCC events happening on Aug. 17, you might see these lovable hunks of blubber hauled out on rocks or playing around the Bay of Fundy—and you’ll be helping to keep their home clean in the process!
Can’t make it to the coast? Lead your own cleanup at a shoreline, riverbank, park, beach, or nature preserve near you any time before Sep. 30 and make it count toward our GFCC total, because it all leads back to the ocean.
Want to help us protect harbour seals, and all the other marine creatures that call N.B. home?
Click here to sign up for one of our GFCC sites before registration closes on Aug. 13, or to learn how to lead your own cleanup until Sep. 30!