Are you familiar with fur seals? These adorable marine mammals have a complex history, and despite ongoing efforts to protect them, they face numerous threats that speak to their ongoing struggle for survival.
We’re happy to welcome you to the Harbor Breeze blog, where we regularly post educational articles about fish, marine mammals, and other fascinating topics, plus share logs of our most recent whale sightings.
In this blog post, we’ll educate you about the history of fur seals. We’ll introduce you to both the northern fur seal as well as the Guadalupe fur seal, both of which belong to the “eared seal” family alongside the Antarctic fur seal, New Zealand fur seal, and South American fur seal, just to name a few.
The History of Fur Seals
Unfortunately, in the early 19th century, fur seals were targeted by hunters who sought their pelts and used them to create jackets, hats, and other garments. When they weren’t being hunted for their thick, dense, and water-resistant fur, fur seals were being hunted for their meat and, less often, oil.
As the fur trade flourished, more and more seals were killed, leading to a dramatic decline in their populations. How dramatic? Some species—including both the northern fur seal and the Guadalupe fur seal—were nearly driven to extinction.
NOAA Fisheries writes that fur seal populations were given a chance to rebound in 1911, when “the Fur Seal Treaty created an international prohibition on hunting fur seals at sea and shared responsibility among the treaty nations for commercial harvests on land. In 1984, the United States ended commercial harvest of northern fur seals on the Pribilof Islands.”
If not for these vital laws and policies that were put in place—seemingly not a moment too soon—it’s possible that fur seals might have gone the way of dinosaurs, dodo birds, and other extinct species that did not overcome the challenges that they encountered, human-related and otherwise.
Today, fur seals and other marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This act—which went into effect in October of 1972—prohibits the killing of all marine mammals in the United States and makes it illegal to harass, feed, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal.
While fur seals have rebounded, concern for them remains.
Modern Threats Faced by Fur Seals
To this day, seals of all species face threats related to climate change, pollution, contaminants, entanglement, and overfishing.
Northern fur seals live in the open ocean and are particularly sensitive to climate change; past El Niño events, for example, reduced the availability of their primary food sources (their diet mainly includes schooling fishes and squid) and increased the levels of a phytoplankton-produced neurotoxin that blooms when El Niño events occur.
Marine Mammal Care Center describes Guadalupe fur seals as having “pointed, flattened, and elongated snouts,” whereas Northern fur seals have a “stocky body, small head, and very short snout.” Even though these seal species have some notable differences, one of the most striking commonalities is the fact that both northern fur seals and Guadalupe fur seals are currently considered “depleted” under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This means that action must be taken to ensure that these and other fur seals can mate, reproduce, and thrive in their natural environments so they can maintain a stable and sustainable population for decades to come.
Conservation Efforts
Ongoing efforts to protect fur seals involve protecting their habitats, addressing pollution, reducing bycatch, and taking other measures designed to safeguard the health and longevity of these mammals. And what incredible mammals they are! According to National Geographic, “Fur seals have sharp eyesight and keen hearing.” The publication also mentions that while fur seals are known to swim solo or in small groups, that solitary lifestyle completely changes during breeding season; they gather on the shoreline, establish territories, and are as social as can be!
Female fur seals have a year-long pregnancy and give birth to only one pup. This rate of reproduction underscores how fragile the fur seal population is; they are very much unlike, say, seahorses, which give birth “like living confetti cannons.” Fur seals can’t even begin reproducing until they are between the ages of 5 and 7 years old.
We hope this blog post about fur seals has encouraged you to learn more about these beloved marine mammals and perhaps even seek ways you can take part in conservation efforts. There are many reputable organizations (including World Wildlife Fund) devoted to researching, rehabilitating, and/or protecting fur seals in the United States and beyond.
“Seal” the Deal on Harbor Breeze Cruise Tickets
We cordially invite you to join Harbor Breeze Cruises for a whale watching cruise. Our cruises are affordable, safe, and fun. They’re also inspirational. Spotting whales, dolphins, and other creatures while on a cruise with us has made countless passengers of all ages wonder what they can do to promote the survival of marine mammals big and small.
You can purchase tickets online or by calling 562-983-6880. During your cruise, you can ask our Aquarium of the Pacific educators any and all questions you have about fur seals, whales, and other creatures. We’re always eager to answer your questions, treat you to an amazing whale watching cruise on the Pacific Ocean, and afford you some of the most impressive views you’ll experience while in California!
