Facts about Crabeater Seal
- 08
Crabeater seal hearts beat only four times per minute during dives, a dramatic bradycardia that conserves oxygen while hunting at depth.
- 07
Breeding season for crabeater seals occurs between October and November in Antarctic regions, with females giving birth to single pups after an 8-month gestation period.
- 06
Crabeater seal pups gain approximately 3 kilograms of body weight daily during their 6-week nursing period, one of the fastest growth rates among marine mammals.
- 05
Crabeater seals hauled out on Antarctic pack ice face predation from leopard seals and orcas, with leopard seal attacks accounting for visible bite scars on up to 80 percent of adult crabeater populations.
- 04
Deep dives lasting up to 20 minutes allow crabeater seals to reach depths of 600 meters while hunting for krill in Antarctic waters.
- 03
Specialized teeth with cusped crowns allow crabeater seals to filter krill from seawater by expelling water through gaps between their molars.
- 02
Antarctic waters host approximately 75 million crabeater seals, making them the most abundant large mammal on Earth by biomass after humans.
- 01
Crabeater seals consume up to 3 kilograms of Antarctic krill daily, making them one of Earth's largest krill predators despite their misleading common name.