Scientific Name: Pusa hispida
Population: Estimated to be around 6 to 7 million worldwide
Regions: Primarily found along temperate and Arctic coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere, including the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans
Destinations: Jan Mayen, Canada, Svalbard, Greenland, Norway
Average Length: Adult: Males: ~1.6 m (5.2 ft), Females: ~1.5 m (4.9 ft); Newborn: ~60 cm (2 ft)
Average Weight: Adult: Males: ~100 kg (220 lbs), Females: ~95 kg (210 lbs); Newborn: ~4.5 kg (10 lbs)
Diet Habits: Fish, squid, and crustaceans
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Phoca (Pusa)
Species: hispida
English: Ringed Seal
Danish: Ringet sæl
Chinese: 环斑海豹
Swedish: Ringad säl
Finnish: Renki
Norwegian: Ringseel
Polish: Foka pierścieniowa
Japanese: リングドシール
Spanish: Foca anillada
French: Phoque annelé
Adult ringed seals typically measure between 1.1 and 1.6 metres in length and have an average weight of 100 kg, with males being slightly larger than females. Ringed seal pups are approximately 60 centimetres long at birth.
The ringed seal’s diet is primarily based on various fish, supplemented with crustaceans and squid. As it hunts in total darkness for a large part of the year, ringed seals have developed hyper-sensitive whiskers that can sense even weak currents in the water created by the fish it hunts.
Ringed seals are known for their patterned coat. The mature male-ringed seal back is typically dark grey or brownish and adorned with bright rings that give the species its unique name. In contrast, their belly is lighter in colour. As for the ringed seal baby, it has soft white fur that soon gives way to a silver-grey coat.
As true denizens of the North, the ringed seal habitat is primarily in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Ringed seals depend on sea ice for survival, using it to create and maintain breathing holes and snow caves where they shelter. They reside on the permanent ice, remaining as the last and northernmost of all animals when the sea ice closes. Although ringed seals are not visible in the coldest months, polar bears can smell them and break into their holes to hunt. As the only mammal seen at the North Pole, the ringed seal occupies open water behind an icebreaker.
While the most common is the classic arctic ringed seal of icy seas, there is also the rare Saimaa ringed seal, which inhabits the freshwater Lake Saimaa in Finland. This unique variant is critically endangered, with an estimated population of around 500 individuals. In all these regions, adapting to extreme cold and maintaining access to essential breathing holes is key, especially given the threat from ringed seal predators like polar bears, walruses, killer whales and arctic foxes.
Ringed Seal Fact #1:
When it comes to ringed seal swimming, They glide at 10 km/h but can reach nearly 30 km/h for a quick escape.
Ringed Seal Fact #2:
The ringed seals acquire rings on their pelage gradually with age.
Ringed Seal Fact #3:
Ringed seals are the most widespread of the arctic seals and has several isolated populations.
Ringed Seal Fact #4:
Ringed seals have an impressive lifespan of up to 45 years.
Ringed SealFact #5:
Ringed seals can dive for nearly 40 minutes to 500 meters deep.
Ringed Seal Fact #6:
Ringed seals aspire to be the fattest animals on Earth, with the blubber layer comprising up to 55% of the weight in adults and even 75% in ringed seal pups.
Ringed SealFact #7:
Ringed seals used to be the most numerous seal species; however, this title has now been claimed by the harp seal, which has seen a marked increase in recent years.
Ringed Seal Fact #8:
Like all northern seals, ringed seals' body mass varies on a seasonal basis: fattest in the autumn and thinnest in the late spring/early summer.
Ringed Seal Fact #9:
In the spring, ringed seals' male faces appear much darker than females because of an oily secretion from glands in the facial region.
Ringed Seal Fact #10:
Ringed seals are the only northern seals capable of maintaining breathing holes in thick sea ice.
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