ZooBlog

A Shore Thing
Northern fur seals spend most of the year at sea. They come ashore in May to breed and raise young in communal breeding grounds.

Turf Wars
During summer breeding season, male fur seals fight for females and territory. Larger and more aggressive males usually win. They wind up with a harem of up to 40 females and the best spot of the beach.

Fabulous Flippers
The huge front flippers make Northern fur seals powerful swimmers. Their strong hind flippers steer the way of reaching the speed of 15mph and diving down more than 800 feet, staying underwater for up to three minutes. When asleep at the surface, they hold their flippers out of the water so they can absorb some of the sun's heat.

From the Wildlife Conservation Society:
"Northern fur seals are hunted almost to extinction in the 1800's for their valuable fur. However, they are being protected since 1912. The population is still declining today due to depletion of food from overfishing."

Animal Info
Northern fur seals can be seen at the New York Aquarium.