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Harbor seals are called pinnipeds, which comes from the Latin word "pinna" meaning winged and "ped" meaning foot. Their webbed feet are like wings, with 5 digits on each foot. They use their hind flippers for propulsion. The eyes and nose of the harbor seal make them look like a dog. They generally have spotted coats in shades of silver gray, and black to dark brown. They are 5 to 6 feet long and weigh up to 300 pounds, though the males are slightly larger than females.

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Harbor seals like to eat crustaceans, mollusks, squid, and a variety of fish. They do not chew their food; they swallow it whole or tear it into chunks. Harbor seals can eat up to 24 pounds of food per day. On land, harbor seals move like a caterpillar, though in the water they are very good and graceful swimmers. They can dive as deep as 1500 feet (457 meters) and hold their breath for up to 40 minutes.

Harbor seals spend about half of their day on land and half in the water.

Harbor seal pups are born in April through July and weigh about 30 pounds. Harbor seal pups are often born on beaches, though sometimes pups are born under water. At birth pups are about two and a half feet long. They are able to swim almost immediately after birth. During the first week of life, the pup often rides on its mother's back while she swims.

The mother nurses the pup with rich milk for three to six weeks.

Some pups have a softer white or gray coat when born, but they shed that coat within about 10 days. Most harbor seal pups' coat color closely resembles that of the adult's coat.

They can live 25 and 30 years.

Don't disturb harbor seals or other marine mammals. It's against the law!