Seals are well equipped for survival in the cold, they have claws on the front paws that act like ice hooks. They have a thick layer of fat that stops them from getting chilled. They also have very keen senses. They eat small Cod, caplin and shrimps as these are easy to catch.

In February the mother seal scratches a breathing hole in the ice and smoothes the sides by sliding in and out. When the birth comes it is very quick, the mothers body ripples a few times and then a yellow furry pup is in the great wide world. She cuts the umbilical cord and sniffs the pup all over so that she will know him in future. The pup is starving and cold so he now snuggles up to mum for a drink of milk.

During the next few days the pup grows stronger, his mum is never away for more than ten minutes at a time, while her baby calls for her in a long quavering call. However he must be patient, so he waits in a hollow in the ice. The father of the pups in the group, calls to the mother seals roughly, taking no notice of the young.

When they are ten days old the pups are introduced to the icy water. When they take their first cold dive, they bob around like a buoy, swallowing a lot of water. The pup does not know how to swim, but his mother teaches him. The pup has to learn that the polar bear and the killer whale are predators. When the pup is one month old he sheds his baby coat and faces the world alone.

There are many kinds of seals, the most common is the Common seal. These seals can be seen off the coast of Britain and in the Mediterranean. Another type is the Bearded seal which is recognised by the whiskers. The elephant seal is the biggest of all the seals hence it's name. They have a nose that is like a short elephants trunk. The monk seal lives near the Hawaiian islands and is near extinction.