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Phoca vitulina
Spotted on a boatride with my dad in the tidal estuary of Ipswich, MA. Assumed to be a Harbor Seal, but we obviously didn't get a very close look!
(from Wikipedia) Characterized as showing a strong degree of site fidelity in their choice of resting sites, they may spend several days at sea and travel up to 50 kilometers in search of feeding grounds, and will also swim some distance upstream into freshwater in large rivers. Resting sites may be both rugged, rocky coasts, such as those of the Hebrides or the shorelines of New England, or sandy beaches. They also inhabit sandy intertidal zones; some seals may also enter estuaries in pursuit of their fish prey. Some have even taken to feeding and playing in New York Harbor and Boston Harbor in recent years. The seals frequently choose to congregate in harbors, lending the animals their other common name.
Spotted on Oct 1, 2011
Submitted on Jan 5, 2012
1 Comment
Nice spotting!