A Harsh Home in the Icy Oceans

• The Arctic and Northern Atlantic oceans are known for their brutal weather and harsh conditions. Months of ice, subzero temperatures and bone-chilling water make for a rather inhospitable home. So, it's strange that in this cold, desolate climate, you'll find one of the most heart-warming animals on the face of the planet---the harp seal.
  
  

A Life in the Water

• Harp seals spend all of their lives either in the icy waters or on ice floes of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Because adults carry a tremendous amount of blubber, they are able to sustain life in these frigid conditions where other species cannot. They use the ocean for their food, catching fish and crustaceans. Birthing accounts for the relatively small amount of time they spend on the ice floes.
  
  

In the Open and In Danger

• Because they live out in the open, whether in the water or on the ice floes, harp seals often find themselves in danger. Danger comes from both above and below with killer whales, polar bears and humans being the biggest threats. In the past, baby harp seals were hunted without mercy. With no shelter, hunting them was both easy and profitable. New laws have made hunting baby harp seals illegal.