*** HARBOUR SEALS OF HVÍTANES, WEST FJORDS ***


Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina), also known as Common Seals, are the most widely distributed species of seal, with a global population of 350,000–500,000. They are found along temperate and Arctic coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. Smaller than Grey Seals, Harbour Seals are brown, grey or silvery white, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils, and a be-whiskered 'Teddy Bear' snout (see left). An adult can attain a length of 1.85 m and weigh 132 kg; they reach an age of 25~35 years. Blubber under the seal's skin helps to maintain body temperature. They live off fish and are accomplished divers, feeding at depths of 30~50m. Harbour Seals are sociable mammals, gathering in groups to bask at shore-line haul-out sites, generally rocky, sandy, or icy areas, where they are protected from adverse weather conditions and predators. After a nine-month gestation, females bear a single pup which they care for alone. Pups can weigh up to 16 kg and are able to swim and dive within hours of birth. They develop quickly on their mother's fat-rich milk, and are weaned after four to six weeks.

Our photographs were taken on an early July afternoon at Hvítanes on the shores of Skötufjorður,
a side-fjord off Ísafjarðardjúp in the West Fjords of NW Iceland
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