Fur seal

/fˈɜː sˈiːl/

Fur seal

a type of pinniped that belongs to the family Otariidae, known for their dense fur coats, streamlined bodies, and ability to both swim and move on land using their flippers

What is a "fur seal"?

A fur seal is a marine mammal that typically has a streamlined body, with a long neck and a small head. They are known for their dense fur coats that help them stay warm in cold ocean waters. Fur seals have large, front-facing eyes and sharp teeth adapted for catching prey. They are excellent swimmers, using their long front flippers to propel themselves through the water with speed and agility. On land, fur seals are also capable of moving using their flippers, but they are not as adapted to terrestrial life as true seals. Fur seals are known for their playful and social behavior, often seen in large groups or colonies on rocky shorelines or islands. They are typically found in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions, as well as in some temperate and tropical waters.

an eared seal of the northern Pacific

Examples

1. And yet, the fur seals and birds on these islands are crashing.

2. And they're eaten by everything from birds and fur seals that pick them up one at a time to large whales that engulf them in huge mouthfuls.

3. And we had, at that time, when I was a child, about 1.2 million northern fur seals, 2 and 1/2 million seabirds, 1,000 reindeer, and 500 Unangan people.

4. If his diet consists of atypical prey or an abundance of fur seals, these subadult white sharks could be controlling these feeding grounds, forcing larger white sharks close to shore and creating a seismic shift in their feeding behavior.