Spotted seals are distributed along the continental shelf of the Beaufort, Chukchi, Bering, and Okhotsk Seas south to the northern Yellow Sea and western Sea of Japan. They are closely related to and often mistaken for Pacific harbor seals. The two species are often seen together and are partially sympatric, as their ranges overlap in the southern part of the Bering Sea. In the Bering Sea, pupping times between the two species are off set by about 2 months. In addition, spotted seals are less social during the breeding season, and only spotted seals are strongly associated with pack ice; their pups are born with white coats which they retain until weaning. Adult males grow to 1.7 m and females to 1.6 m; they weigh 80 to 123 kg. Spotted seals overwinter in the Bering Sea along the ice edge and make east-west movements along the edge. During spring they tend to prefer small floes (i.e., < 20 m in diameter), with movement to coastal habitats after the retreat of the sea ice. In summer and fall, spotted seals use coastal haulouts regularly, and may be found as far north as the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.