Northern Fur Seal

Callorhinus ursinus

Northern Fur Seal. Photo:Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles

As one of the most important furbearers in North America, the fur seal has played an important role in the Canadian economy. Fur seals prefer to keep their distance from other members; the exception is during the breeding season where large groups of seals congregate along the coastline to find their potential mates. The bulls are larger than the cows and are far less graceful and long-lived (18 and 21years respectively). fur seals are capable of diving as deep as eighty metres. They catch most of their food deeper in the water column where more pelagic fish are found. Fur seals have a diet based on fish such as herring and cephalopods such as squids. Their only natural enemies are orcas and the larger sharks, such as the great white and mako.

Distribution of Northern Fur Seal in Canada