The spotted seal (Phoca largha), or largha seal, is a resident of the North Pacific and adjacent Arctic waters. Known for its beautiful silver-gray coat decorated with dark, irregular spots, it is one of the “ice seals” of Alaska, relying closely on seasonal pack ice for pupping, nursing, and resting.
Life on the Ice
Spotted seals are unique in their seasonal movements. In winter and spring, they inhabit the southern edge of the seasonal pack ice, where they breed and pup. When the ice melts in summer and autumn, they transition to coastal areas, hauling out on sandy beaches, rocky reefs, and mudflats.
Unlike harbor seals, which are closely related and look very similar, spotted seals form distinct breeding pairs during the pupping season. The pup is born with a snowy white coat called lanugo, which provides camouflage on the ice until it is shed after about three to four weeks.
Habitat and Diet
At the Alaska SeaLife Center, spotted seals are ambassadors for Alaska’s changing Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments. As opportunistic feeders, their diet in the wild consists of:
- Schooling fish (herring, capelin, cod)
- Squid and octopus
- Crustaceans (shrimp and krill)
Conservation and the Arctic Future
Listed as Least Concern globally, spotted seals are nevertheless highly sensitive to changes in the timing and extent of seasonal sea ice. Sea ice is critical for their early life stages, and ocean warming presents ongoing challenges to their prey webs. The Alaska SeaLife Center conducts vital research on the physiology, acoustics, and health of cooperating spotted seals to help resource managers protect these beautiful animals.