SEALS IN GASPE BAY DECEMBER 2001 by Bruce Patterson
One of the probable 3 or 4 types of seals that can be found in the Gaspe Bay each fall as the ice begins to freeze in the inner bay, is the harbour seal which can be found along the shores of Eastern Canada and New England and in the winter as far south as the Carolinas. They are sometimes called "sea dog" or "sea calf ". Male harbour seals can grow to 5-51/2 feet in length and weigh 200 – 250 lbs, while the females are a bit smaller 41/2 –5 feet , and weigh 150 to 200 lbs.
Their food preferences are squid, crustaceans, molluscs, and other fish including rock fish, herring, flounder, salmon, hake, and sand lance, and I suspect also includes smelt here in the Gaspe bay.
Adult harbour seals eat 5% to 6% of their body weight per day or about 10 to 18 lbs.
It is believed that harbour seals can live for up to 25 years.
Their exact population is unknown.
Another type known to live in the Gulf of St Lawerence is the "Harp Seal". It is a bit larger than the Harbour Seal , it’s diet is mostly the same, and it can live for up to 30 years. It is believed there are about 4.8 million of this type at the present time, and they can be found in the North Atlantic and Artic ocean, NewFoundland and the Gulf of St Lawerence .