Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Ringed Seal Pusa hispida
Named after its conspicuous circular markings, the ringed seal is found throughout the Arctic, in open water near sea ice and also under the ice itself, where it digs breathing holes. It can dive for over an hour, feeding on fish and zooplankton. Female ringed seals breed on the ice, where they dig dens in the snow. These seals are a favorite prey of polar bears, which hunt them in their dens and when they surface to breathe.
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- Order Carnivora
- Length 4–5 ft (1.3–1.5 m)
- Weight 100–210 lb (45–95 kg)
- Habitat Polar waters around sea ice
- Distribution Arctic Ocean, north Pacific, north Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Sea of Okhotsk
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