Size – an adult male seal is just over 2 m long and has a mass of 200 - 300 kg.
Female seals are 1,5 m and weigh between 50 and 75 kg
Characteristics – The Cape Fur Seal have a very thick pelt - unlike true seals which have only a thin covering of hair.
Seal pups have been hunted for their jet black pelt. The adult's fur is too coarse to be suitable for use in the fur industry.
They have small external ears. Seals are brown of colour but appear black when wet. When in the water, seals use their front flippers for swimming and back flippers for steering. When on land they bring their back flippers underneath themselves to serve as legs.
Diet – Seals are carnivores. Their diet includes pilchards, anchovies, horse mackerel, hake, snoek, squid, and the occasional rock lobster.
Breeding patterns – During the breeding season males are fiercely territorial and will fight viciously to defend their chosen territories from other males. Females give birth to a single pup between mid- November and late December. Around 10,000 pups are born annually.
Risk to humans:
Threat to seals:
Some of the few natural predators to seals are sharks and killer whales.
On land seal pups are vulnerable to black-backed jackals and brown hyenas.
Seals have been clubbed and hunted by humans for centuries for their fur coats.
Where can they be found?
Due to the rich fishing grounds of the West Coast of South African, almost 93% of Cape Fur Seals can be found here.
Gansbaai – Geyser Rock
Geyser Rock is a smaller but much louder island and home to a permanent colony of 30 to 40 thousand Cape Fur Seals. Geyser Rock is adjesent to Dyer Island, 8 km off the coast of Kleinbaai. |
