Description

The bearded seal is the largest northern true seal, notable for its square head, long white whiskers, and thick, wrinkled hide. Adults reach lengths of 2.1–2.7 meters and weigh between 300 and 430 kilograms, with females often larger than males. Their dense blubber layer—up to 10 centimeters thick—keeps them insulated in subzero waters. Their whiskers act as tactile sensors for detecting benthic prey on the seafloor: clams, crabs, shrimp, and benthic fish.
These seals prefer shallow coastal waters and drifting pack ice, where they rest, whelp, and molt. Bearded seals are solitary or loosely associated except during breeding. Their vocalizations—melodic, trilling calls—resonate through the Arctic water, an iconic soundscape of the frozen north.