Where do spotted seals give birth?

They give birth on drifting sea ice, and their pups are born with white lanugo fur that camouflages them against the ice.

Are spotted seals endangered?

The species as a whole is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but the smaller southern population around the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea faces greater threats and stricter protection.

What do spotted seals eat?

Adults feed on fish such as herring, pollock, and capelin, along with squid and crustaceans, while young seals rely more on krill and small crustaceans.

Spotted Sealゴマフアザラシ

Phoca larghaLC— Least Concern

The spotted seal is a pinniped of the North Pacific and adjacent seas, ranging from the Bering and Chukchi Seas south to the Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea. It gives birth on drifting pack ice, and its white-coated pups rely on this ice for camouflage and shelter. While the IUCN lists the species overall as Least Concern, the southern population near the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea is considered more threatened.

Spotted Seal (reference photo) — Photo: NOAA Fisheries / Public domain / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Carnivora / Phocidae Source
Size: Males about 170 cm / females about 160 cm
Weight: About 70–130 kg
Lifespan: Wild: estimated 30–35 years / captive: one individual, "Tenyo 1," lived 47 years
Diet: Piscivore Small fish such as walleye pollock, flounder, saury, herring, and capelin, as well as cephalopods and crustaceans
Distribution: The spotted seal inhabits the Bering, Chukchi, and Okhotsk Seas, the Sea of Japan, and the Bohai and Yellow Seas; in Japan it is found along the coasts of eastern and northern Hokkaido. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Pups are born on drifting sea ice and are covered in white lanugo fur, which provides camouflage against the ice. Source
The Yellow Sea population is known to migrate more than 3,300 kilometers each year. Source
The character "Goma-chan" from the manga Shonen Ashibe, first serialized in 1988, is modeled on this species and greatly boosted its popularity in Japan. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 28

Spotted Sealゴマフアザラシ

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Otaru AquariumHokkaidoOpened in 1958

Toba AquariumMieOpened in 1955

Kagoshima City AquariumKagoshimaFrom Kagoshima-Chuo Station, take the tram (Route 2) to the Suizokukan-guchi stop and walk 8 minutes.

Aqua World Ibaraki Prefecture Oarai AquariumIbarakiAddress: 8252-3 Isohama-cho, Oarai-machi, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Awashima Marine ParkShizuokaOpened in 1963

Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

Susami Chouritsu Ebitokanino SuizokukanWakayama

NOTOJIMA AQUARIUMIshikawaThe nearest station is Wakura-Onsen Station.

Aquamarine FukushimaFukushimaOpened in 2000

Maxell Aqua Park ShinagawaTokyoAbout a 2-minute walk from the Takanawa exit of Shinagawa Station (Shinkansen, JR, and Keikyu lines).

MARINE WORLD uminonakamichiFukuokaFrom JR Hakata Station, take the Kagoshima Main Line 11 minutes to Kashii Station, transfer to the JR Kashii Line (bound for Saitozaki), and ride 20 minutes to Uminonakamichi Station.

Asahiyama ZooHokkaidoOpened in 1967

Echizen Matsushima AquariumFukuiOpened in 1959

Shimoda AquariumShizuokaOpened in 1967

Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

Kamogawa Sea WorldChibaAbout 2 hours from Tokyo Station on the Wakashio limited express to JR Awa-Kamogawa Station, then about 10 minutes by free shuttle bus (departing from the West Exit bus stop).

Miyajima Public AquariumHiroshimaOpened in 2011

Kyoto AquariumKyotoAbout a 15-minute walk from the central exit of JR Kyoto Station.

Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

Kinosaki Marine WorldHyogoAbout 10 minutes by Zentan Bus from JR Kinosaki-Onsen Station; get off at the Hiyoriyama (Marine World) bus stop.

Shinsapporosanpiaza SuizokukanHokkaidoAbout a 5-minute walk from Shin-Sapporo Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Tozai Line, or about a 3-minute walk from Shin-Sapporo Station on the JR Chitose Line.

ENOSHIMA AQUARIUMKanagawaOpened in 2004

Kobe Suma Sea WorldHyogoOpened in 2024

WAKKANAI NOSHAPPU AQUARIUMHokkaidoOpened in 1968

TOBU ZOOSaitamaFrom Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen Station (west exit), about 10 minutes on foot (600 m) or about 5 minutes by bus.

Port of Nagoya Public AquariumAichi5 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Nagoyako Station on the Subway Meiko Line (transfer to the Meiko Line at Sakae Station on the Higashiyama Line, or at Kanayama Station on the Meitetsu and JR lines).

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

Former facilities

North Safari SapporoHokkaidoOpened in 2005

Keikyuuaburatsubomarin ParkKanagawaOpened in 1968

Inubousakimarin ParkChiba

Latest news

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Sources

Support Conservation

FAQ

Books & gear