Grey Seal

The grey seal is large and heavy, with individuals from the eastern Atlantic being 1.6–2.3 m (5 ft 3 in – 7 ft 7 in) long and weighing 100–310 kg (220–680 lb), while individuals from the western Atlantic are up to 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) long, and can reach a weight of as much as 400 kg (880 lb). It is found widely across the northern Atlantic, ranging from the US to Russia, and occasionally as far south as Portugal. It can be divided into two subspecies: the Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus grypus), found in the Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica), found everywhere else. The largest populations are in Canada and the UK.

Grey seals have a varied diet, feeding mostly on fish, and occasionally on invertebrates such as octopuses and lobsters. Their main predators are orcas, and they are also prey to sharks. The pups are preyed upon by eagles and gulls.