What is "harbor seal"

Harbor \Har"bor\ (h[aum]r"b[~e]r), n. [Written also harbour.] [OE. herbor, herberwe, herberge, Icel. herbergi (cf. OHG. heriberga), orig., a shelter for soldiers; herr army + bjarga to save, help, defend; akin to AS. here army, G. heer, OHG. heri, Goth. harjis, and AS. beorgan to save, shelter, defend, G. bergen. See Harry, 2d Bury, and cf. Harbinger.]

1. A station for rest and entertainment; a place of security and comfort; a refuge; a shelter.

   [A grove] fair harbour that them seems.
   --Spenser.

   For harbor at a thousand doors they knocked.
   --Dryden.

2. Specif.: A lodging place; an inn. [Obs.]
   --Chaucer.

3. (Astrol.) The mansion of a heavenly body. [Obs.]

4. A portion of a sea, a lake, or other large body of water, either landlocked or artificially protected so as to be a place of safety for vessels in stormy weather; a port or haven.

5. (Glass Works) A mixing box for materials.

   Harbor dues (Naut.), fees paid for the use of a harbor.

   Harbor seal (Zo["o]l.), the common seal.

   Harbor watch, a watch set when a vessel is in port; an anchor watch.

Seal \Seal\ (s[=e]l), n. [OE. sele, AS. seolh; akin to OHG. selah, Dan. s[ae]l, Sw. sj["a]l, Icel. selr.] (Zo["o]l.) Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocid[ae] and Otariid[ae].

Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are numerous species, bearing such popular names as sea lion, sea leopard, sea bear, or ursine seal, fur seal, and sea elephant. The bearded seal ( Erignathus barbatus), the hooded seal ( Cystophora cristata), and the ringed seal ( Phoca f[oe]tida), are northern species. See also Eared seal, Harp seal, Monk seal, and Fur seal, under Eared, Harp, Monk, and Fur. Seals are much hunted for their skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some species is very abundant.

Harbor seal (Zo["o]l.), the common seal ( Phoca vitulina). It inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also marbled seal, native seal, river seal, bay seal, land seal, sea calf, sea cat, sea dog, dotard, ranger, selchie, tangfish.

alt. A species of true seals, ''Phoca vitulina''. n. A species of true seals, ''Phoca vitulina''.

n. small spotted seal of coastal waters of the northern hemisphere [syn: common seal, Phoca vitulina]

The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Baltic and North Seas.

Harbor seals are brown, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. An adult can attain a length of 1.85 meters (6.1 ft) and a mass of 132 kilograms (290 lb). Blubber under the seal's skin helps to maintain body temperature. Females outlive males (30–35 years versus 20–25 years). Harbor seals stick to familiar resting spots or haulout sites, generally rocky areas (although ice, sand and mud may also be used) where they are protected from adverse weather conditions and predation, near a foraging area. Males may fight over mates underwater and on land. Females bear a single pup after a nine-month gestation, which they care for alone. Pups can weigh up to and are able to swim and dive within hours of birth. They develop quickly on their mothers' fat-rich milk and are weaned after four to six weeks.

The global population of harbor seals is 350,000–500,000, but subspecies in certain habitats are threatened. Once a common practice, sealing is now illegal in many nations within the animal's range.