In March 2013, a group of tourists went on a dolphin cruise through an agent called Mola Mola, operating from Walvis Bay harbor in Namibia. During this excursion, the group was hoping to see dolphins swimming near the boat – what actually showed up surprised them greatly! The tour leader asked the group to step back and right before their eyes, an eared seal jumps on the boat. He appears very friendly and comfortable, even around a lot of strangers. The tour guide goes on to tell the group that this is a young male, around five years old. Eared seals usually live until about 35 years old. These creatures weigh a massive 240 to 2,200 pounds, which is enormous. Their body is colored red, white, black, brown, light tan, gray, and a variety of other colors. They can eat up to 15% of their body weight… per day! Both during the day and at night, these sea creatures are active. Superb divers, eared seals hunt in the deepest parts of the ocean. Although otariids are capable of living and feeding in the ocean, they bear children and care for their young on land. It’s clear the young lad on this boat is no stranger to human interaction.
Interesting Seal Facts
Watching this video makes you feel like you’re right there on the boat with the animal. The tour guide teaches about how they eat, the myths of seals balancing a ball on their nose, and even talks about the impressive coats that keep them warm in frigid waters. A comment on the video with over 11,000 likes reads, “It’s so cool how instead of keeping it in a cage or aquarium, they come to the animal, and the animal trusts them enough to keep coming back.” We couldn’t agree more! These mammals make loud noises to communicate with one another. Eared seals are able to make low noises that are audible from a great distance. These animals can swim at a pace of 15 miles per hour, which is astonishing for an ear seal. These mammals don’t pose a threat to humans and aren’t known to be deadly. It is usually best to keep your distance because they could bite to assert their authority or to annoy you. Take a look at the precious video below!
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