Harbor Seals

Going with the floe

In most circumstances, harbor seals spend about half their time in the water and half hauled out on shore, whether it be on a beach or mudflat, a sunny stone slab, or an ice floe. The mama and pup in our photo need a little extra downtime for the time being: While able to swim from birth, the little one needs to conserve its limited energy until it's able to blubber up a bit. On the other flipper, mama is hauled out not just to protect her pup but also for hygienic purposes. Harbor seals molt shortly after breeding, and since new hair growth requires blood flow close to the skin, spending time in less frigid temps outside the water helps the seal's spiffy fur coat fill out faster.