From 'Earless' Hearing to Deep-Sea Naps: 6 Wild Seal Facts

Time of India

a day ago

These days, our social media is full of eye-catching wildlife– from snow leopards climbing cliffs to dolphins flipping in the air. But seals often don't get the spotlight they deserve.
With their big, gentle eyes and calm looks, they may not seem like the most exciting animals. But seals have an amazing story– one that's all about survival, smart adaptations, and living in some of the world's toughest places.
Over millions of years, seals have learned how to move, hunt, sleep, and talk in ways that help them survive in freezing polar waters and warm tropical seas. Here are six simple but fascinating facts that might help you see seals in a whole new light.
They're distant cousins of bears and skunks
Seals weren't always ocean animals. Long ago, their ancestors lived on land and ate meat. They were related to animals like bears, otters, and even skunks. Over time, some of them started spending more time near water, and slowly, they changed. They became what we now call pinnipeds– a group that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses.
Some are tiny, some are huge
Seals come in many sizes. The smallest is the Galápagos fur seal, which is just over a metre long and weighs around 45 kg. On the other hand, the southern elephant seal is huge– some males grow over 5 metres long and weigh nearly 4,000 kg!
While most seals live in the ocean, the Baikal seal is different.
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It lives in freshwater, deep inside Russia's Lake Baikal. And when it comes to numbers, the crabeater seal of Antarctica might be the most common large mammal in the world– with population estimates in the tens of millions.
'Earless' seals can still hear really well
Some seals are called 'earless,' but that just means they don't have visible ear flaps like sea lions do. These seals (called phocids) have tiny ear openings hidden under their skin. They're great at hearing underwater– especially high-pitched sounds.
Sea lions hear better on land, but in the water, these 'earless' seals are excellent listeners.
Seals can talk– and their sounds are more advanced than you think
Seals may seem quiet, but they're actually quite vocal. They make all kinds of sounds: grunts, barks, chirps, growls, and even super high-pitched noises that humans can't hear. These sounds help them do things like keep away enemies, attract mates, and talk to their pups.
Some seals, like the Weddell seal, even seem to have their own local "accents" depending on where they live.
Seals also use body language– like flipper slaps or nose movements– to send messages.
They're great at swimming and travel huge distances
Seals are built for the ocean. They only come to land for things like resting, mating, or shedding their fur. Some, like the northern fur seal, travel over 10,000 km across the sea! Others, like the northern elephant seal, can dive almost a kilometre deep and stay underwater for more than an hour.
They can do this because their bodies are made for it– they can slow down their heartbeat and use oxygen very carefully while diving.
Seals have smart ways of sleeping– but not all sleep the same
Sleeping in the ocean isn't easy, especially with predators around. Some seals, like fur seals and sea lions, can 'half-sleep' – one side of their brain stays awake while the other rests. This helps them stay alert in the water.
But not all seals sleep like this. Elephant seals, for example, dive deep and take short naps while drifting underwater. They only sleep for a few hours a day at sea. On land, seals can fully relax and sleep deeply.
Different seals have different sleep styles– and each one helps them stay safe in their own way.
Images: Canva (for representative purposes only)