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Once in the environment, these substances move up the food chain and accumulate in predators near the top, such as harp seals. Because of their blubber stores, harp seals accumulate these contaminants in their bodies, threatening their immune and reproductive systems.
Polar bears are well-known predators of harp seal pups, but adult harp seals face a different threat from killer whales. These marine mammals use unique hunting techniques to prey on adult harp seals, making them another significant predator in the Arctic ecosystem.
The main predators of harp seals are polar bears, killer whales, Greenland sharks, and walruses. Humans also kill harp seals for food, fur, and oil. ("Harp Seals", 2004; Kovacs, 1995; "Pagophilus groenlandicus: Harp Seal", 2009; Schliemann, 1990)
Harp seals often consume snow to stay hydrated, but in mild winters may not have enough available. Several centers are active in seal rescue and rehabilitation, including IFAW, NOAA, and the New England Aquarium. Harp seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the United States.
If you see large colonies of harp seals on the ice, it’s likely a group caring for their pups. Adult harp seals have black splotches in their fur but baby harp seals are known for their bright white coat. Baby harp seal’s fluffy, white fur helps camouflage them from predators.
Do Harp Seals have any predators? Harp seals have a few natural predators, including killer whales and polar bears. Both of these predators are skilled hunters in the Arctic region and may target young, inexperienced, or injured seals as prey.
However, humans are the primary harp seals predators. Historically, these seals were hunted for their meat, omega-3 fatty acid-rich oil, and fur. Today, seal hunting mainly occurs in Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia.
Modern hunts are better regulated than in the past, but the harp seal remains perhaps the most commercially important seal, with hundreds of thousands killed each year.
Over-exploitation, especially in the northwest Atlantic, along with an unregulated and expanding trade in seal products, is the single largest threat to the Harp seal. Other threats are global warming, accidental catches in fishing equipment, oil spills, and other environmental contaminants.
Named for the curved, black patch on their backs that resembles a harp, the harp seal is born with long white fur that sheds after a month. Learn more.