The Northern Fur Seal

The Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus) is a pelagic species with a wide distribution in the North Pacific Ocean. They are  found in the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk and the sea of Japan. They spend most of the year at sea and rarely return to land other than to breed. Their largest breeding site was at the Pribilof Islands off the coast of mainland Alaska, but a large population decline has resulted in a decrease of seals breeding there. So much that pup productivity has dropped by fifty percent since the 1970s. Their main diet consists of fish and squid. Depending on their food choice, they may find themselves competing with fishing companies.

Bibliography: IUCN Red List Information for Northern Fur Seals, Web Source: IUCN

Image Information: Northern Fur Seal, Web Source: Common Wikimedia

Northern Fur Seal, Web Source: Common Wikimedia