There are close to 40 species of seal and none of them have ears, on the outside anyway. Even though they flop around on land, it’s not a pretty site. They can’t use their hind flippers very well on land and simply drag themselves around with the front flippers and flop their bodies around. Their torpedo-shaped bodies are more specialized for diving deep and staying under water for long lengths of time. Their hearts beat very slowly as they go down deep so that the oxygen in their blood is only used little by little by the brain and other vital organs. They are mostly blubber and have fur on the outside that they shed each year. All of the seal species live in colder climates except one who can live in the tropics – the monk seal. Grunting and slapping the water is happy form of seal communication.

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Weddell Seals

Ribbon seal