Animal
Grey seal
A marine mammal also found in the Baltic combines life ashore with long dives.
Content language
The grey seal lives close to Gdańsk as well as farther afield. In Polish waters it is encountered particularly around the bays of Gdańsk and Puck. Its range covers the North Atlantic and the Baltic. This is an animal of both sea and land: the sea provides food, but the shore remains part of its habitat.
Grey seals dive mainly for fish, occasionally eating crustaceans and mussels. They can descend to depths of over 200 metres and stay underwater for around 20 minutes. Sleep is not confined to the beach either. A seal can rest on land, at the surface or even underwater. Within a group, seals communicate with calls and by slapping their flippers against their bodies.
Pups are born on land or ice. For about three weeks, the mother feeds them milk containing 40-50 per cent fat. This rich food supports their early life in a cold environment. Fishing nets pose a danger: an entangled seal may be unable to surface for air. Pollution and disturbance at resting sites also threaten them. A quiet shore matters just as much as productive fishing grounds.
For children
This seal also lives in the Baltic Sea, near Gdańsk. It is called a grey seal. It spends some of its time in the water and some on shore. Underwater it mainly searches for fish. It can dive deep and stay down for a long time, but must return to breathe.
Seals can sleep on land and in the water. They communicate with calls and by slapping their flippers against their own bodies. A young grey seal is born on land or ice. During its first weeks, its mother feeds it very fatty milk.
Getting caught in a fishing net is dangerous because it can stop a seal surfacing. Noise and disturbance on shore are harmful too. A peaceful resting place is an important part of a seal's home.
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