The Ringed Seal

For more information about polar bears and Arctic wildlife, see the new IMAX® film “To The Arctic 3D” opening in select IMAX Theatres starting April 20, 2012. “To The Arctic 3D” is a MacGillivray Freeman Film from Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Corporation. Presented by One World One Ocean Foundation.




Ringed seals are a marine mammals. They are the smallest species of seal on Earth.


They can be found in the polar region of the northern hemisphere.


Ringed seals use their claws to make holes in the ice so that they can come up to breathe, but these holes are favorite places for polar bears to sit in wait for a meal. To check if there is a bear waiting for them, sometimes they blow bubbles up the breathing hole before surfacing.


They can dive 300 feet down and hold their breath for 45 minutes, but they usually feed between just 40 - 100 feet deep.


Adults are dark grey with lighter marks shaped like rings on their backs – that’s why they’re called ringed seals. Babies don’t have rings yet, though. They are white and fluffy for camouflage on snow while they are still learning how to get around.


color pages

Ringed Seal Color Page


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