harbor seal

American  

noun

1. a small, spotted seal, Phoca vitulina, of the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe and the Pacific coast of northern North America.

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Etymology

Origin of harbor seal

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harbor seal

“A harbor seal swam under me for close to a minute as I approached the beach, one of those wildlife-human interactions that we cherish,” Rubin wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025

Seals in the Salish Sea alone consumed 24 million Chinook according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-led study — almost 90% of all harbor seal predation from Alaska to California.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023

But since no one had ever seen a wolf kill a harbor seal or sea otter, the researchers began a beach stakeout, setting up both camera traps and literally sitting there with cameras in hand.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 14, 2023

Like human babies, harbor seal pups learn to change their pitch to target a parent's eardrums.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 22, 2023

It was a harbor seal, but had so few spots that it was a rare prize.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George