Meet the Arctic seal with the mustache. Its face is framed by long, white whiskers that stick out like little wires—hence the name “bearded.” It has a wide, square-looking muzzle, small eyes, and a thick, gray-brown body built for cold seas. Bearded seals like floating ice that drifts over shallow water, because that’s where their food lives.

Unlike sea lions, they have no ear flaps and don’t “walk” on flippers; on land or ice, they move with a belly wiggle and short, clumsy slides. In the water, though, they are strong and smooth swimmers. They usually rest alone on ice floes or in small, loose groups, not in big, noisy crowds. Among Arctic seals, they’re on the big side—adults can be as long as a sofa and as heavy as a small motorbike.

Those famous whiskers aren’t just for show. Bearded seals are bottom feeders, searching the sea floor like careful vacuum cleaners. They use their whiskers to “feel” for clams, crabs, snails, and worms hidden in the mud. When they find something tasty, they press their lips to the bottom and suck the food right out—yes, really.

They can also blow jets of water to puff away the mud and uncover snacks. Their teeth are wide and sturdy for crushing shells, and their tongue is strong for suction. Because their favorite meals live in shallow areas, bearded seals prefer ice that floats over continental shelf waters rather than the deep, dark middle of the ocean.

Spring is the family season. Mothers give birth on drifting ice, and the pups are big and well prepared for life in cold water. Within hours, they can swim next to mom while she watches carefully from the surface. The milk is rich, so pups grow fast during a short nursing period before learning to find food for themselves.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Arctic Ocean

2016

Atlantic Ocean

2016

Pacific ocean

2016

Bering Sea

2016

Chukchi Sea

2016

Canada

2016

China

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

France

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

Germany

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

Greenland

2016

Iceland

2016

Japan

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

Netherlands

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

Norway

2016

Portugal

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

Russia

2016

Spain

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

Svalbard

2016

United Kingdom

2016

Seasonality Uncertain

United States

2016