Marine Mammal Laboratory

Bearded seals are circumpolar in their distribution, extending from the Arctic Ocean (85*N) south to Hokkaido (45*N) in the western Pacific. They generally inhabit areas of shallow water (less than 200 m) that are at least seasonally ice covered. During winter they are most common in broken pack ice and in some areas also inhabit shorefast ice. In the spring, bearded seals tend to prefer areas of between 70% and 90% sea ice coverage, and are typically more abundant 20-100 nmi from shore than within 20 nmi of shore. The overall summer distribution is quite broad, with seals rarely hauled out on land. The are generally solitary except during the breeding season. Adults are 2.1 to 2.4 m in length; the females are slightly longer than the males. Pups are born between mid March and early May; they have a short nursing period and are weaned at 12 to 19 days.