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Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata)
Hooded seals, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec. The seal on the right is a male with "hood" and nasal membrane inflated.. Photograph copyright: Pete Cooper - all rights reserved. Used with permission. (view image details) 
Juvenile male Hooded Seal. Photograph copyright: Lynn Henneberger - all rights reserved. Used with permission. (view image details) 
Young Hooded Seal being rehabilitated at Mystic Aquarium seal rescue clinic. Photograph copyright: Shannon - all rights reserved. Used with permission. (view image details) 
Hooded Seal release. Mystic Aquarium seal rescue clinic. Photograph copyright: Shannon - all rights reserved. Used with permission. (view image details)
HOODED SEAL FACTS
DescriptionThe Hooded Seal inhabits ice packs and cold northern Atlantic waters. It has a grey body with dark spotted pattern, and a black head. Male hooded seals also have a black, crescent shaped, inflatable nasal sac that droops down over the muzzle, and can be inflated like a crest. The sac grows with age until it looks like a hood over the nose. The male can also inflate a membrane in the nose into a big red or dark colored balloon larger than a football, holding about six liters of air. He blows it up by closing one nostril and blowing up the membrane through the other. Pups are blue with light gray bellies and black faces. The pups become spotted after the first year. Other Names Crested Seal, Bladder Seal Size Length: males 2.3 - 2.9m; females 2 - 2.3m. Males are almost twice as heavy as females. Environment large ice packs and in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean Food deep water fish including redfish, herring, cod, halibut, and flounder. Also eats shrimp, octopus and mussels. Breeding One pup (sometimes twins) is born after a gestation of 11.7 months. The pup weighs about 15 kg at birth and is suckled for only 4 days, putting on around several kilograms per day. Range northern Atlantic Ocean near Labrador and northeastern Newfoundland, and down as far as New England Notes Hooded seals are hunted for their spotted coats and also for the blue coats of pups. Classification
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