The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina) is named for its chosen resting spots which are near a foraging area and protected from adverse weather conditions and predation.
Individual harbour seals possess a unique pattern of spots, either dark on a light background or light on a dark. Seals can live in fresh or saltwater; they usually spend their entire lives in an area of about five miles. Seals dive for three minutes at a time typically, but they can stay under water as long as 30 minutes and dive as deep as 600 feet. Also known as the common seal, it is found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Baltic and North Seas.
