Seals swim in arctic waters eating fish like arctic cod. Their rear flippers are turned backwards. This makes them better at swimming, but it's hard for the seal to get around on land. They slide around on the ice, it's better for them than just walking with there toes pointing backwards! It would be hard for me to walk like that.

One species, the ring seal, spends most the time under the ice. It digs through the ice with its powerful claws to open holes so it can breath and must keep pushing its nose in the ice to keep it from freezing again. It's easier to keep pushing its nose in the holes so they won't have to make new holes. If their not looking out so if a polar bear sees its hole it won't catch it.

Seals are great divers and can stay under water for a long time without even taking a breath of air. Mature seals mate in the spring. Calves are born in the spring, the next year. They stay with their mother for a few weeks until they know how to catch and prey. The soft baby fur is not warm enough for the baby. When the white fur turns darker, it is better suited to the arctic waters.

There are a lot of seals in Antarctica. There's the Fur Seal, the Southern Elephant Seal, the Crabeater Seal. There's also the Leopard Seal,and the Weddell Seal, those are a lot of seals! They all have diets, most of them have fish on it. Seals come in all shapes and sizes, like the Weddell Seal has a small head and a big body.

Seals were over hunted by people for many years. Now many seals are protected and can only by native people in the arctic. Now many seals can live longer and be free.

 Thank you for putting the time into reading this page!