Name:
Grey seal
Scientific name:
Halichoerus grypus
Distribution:
East and west Atlantic, also in northern and central part of the Baltic Sea.
Description:
Females are silver-grey with dark patches, males are dark grey with silver-grey patches, also complete brown or black.
Weight and size:
Up to 330 kg and 260 cm in length, mature males are heavier and bigger.
Lifespan:
Approx. 40 years
Diet:
Fish (herring, hake, cod, mackerel, plaice), squid, harbour seal, harbour porpoise, seabirds
Predator:
Sharks
Threatened by:
Noise pollution, chemical pollution, marine debris (macro debris: entanglements, injuries, internal blockages; micro plastics: immunosuppression), fisheries interactions (bycatch, entanglements, collisions, fish stock depletion), disturbance (social behaviours, communication, feeding, breading), habitat degradation and loss
IUCN red list status:
Least concern
Special features:
Due to the presumed high consumption of fish unpopular with fishermen, the most frequent and largest seal species in the Baltic Sea.
Recent research projects:
France, 2016, Vincent, researchers are tracking grey seals with satellite tags for 4 years and are calculating the fish consumptio
Germany, 2015, van Neer, researchers observe a young male grey seal preying upon young harbour seals on the island of Helgoland
Germany, 2015, van Neer, researchers observe a young male grey seal preying upon young harbour seals on the island of Helgoland