Each year I have the opportunity to visit Ulukhaktok, a remote northern community on Victoria Island, formerly known as Holman. This year we visited in Early August and there were 3 ringed seals hanging about in the bays surrounding the community.
It didn’t seem to matter where we went there seemed to be a seal nearby. I’d never seen live seals up close so watching the three of them feed and frolic near shore was a treat. When I got home, I wanted to learn more about which seals I might have seen. They were most likely ringed seals.
Ringed seals are the smallest species of seal weighing between 50- 70kg. They get their name from the light-colored circular patterns that appear on their darker gray backs.
In winter they use the claws of their front flippers to create breathing holes in the ice. Ringed seals can dive up to 300 feet and forage underwater for up to 45 minutes. Sometimes seals will blow bubbles up their breathing hole to check for polar bears, their main predator.
On average, seals live 25-30 years. They don’t reach sexual maturity until they are six years old. Female seals will give birth to one pup and raise it in a snow lair hidden away from predators. Pups are weaned after two months and are left to fend for themselves.
Ringed seals are not endangered. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission estimates that there are approximately 5 million ringed seals. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed ringed seals as ‘Not at Risk’ in April 1989.
Anti-sealing media often ignores the relationship Indigenous people have with seals and the importance of seal hunting to food security and household income. For a closer look at the relationship between Canadian Inuit and seals, I recommend having a look at Angry Inuk, a documentary that examines how anti-sealing movement has harmed Inuit culture. You can watch for free here: https://gem.cbc.ca/…/cbc-docs-pov/season-1/episode-9/38e815…