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Britannica Sources used in this answer

Where do harp seals live across the North Atlantic and Arctic regions?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
A mother harp seal and a young “whitecoat.” Adult harp seals are gray with black spots. Young harp seals are called “whitecoats,” “bedlamers,” “beaters,” or “graybacks,” depending on their age.
harp seal A mother harp seal and a young “whitecoat.” Adult harp seals are gray with black spots. Young harp seals are called “whitecoats,” “bedlamers,” “beaters,” or “graybacks,” depending on their age.

Harp seals are found on or near ice floes across the North Atlantic and Arctic, ranging from the Kara Sea in Russia to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. Their global population is divided into three distinct groups:

  • Northwestern Atlantic: The largest population inhabits areas near the coast of Newfoundland and within the Gulf of St. Lawrence.1
  • Barents Sea: The second-largest group is found in the vicinity of the Barents Sea and breeds on the ice-covered White Sea in northwest Russia.1
  • Greenland Sea: The smallest population resides between Jan Mayen Island and the eastern coast of Greenland, with primary mating grounds near Jan Mayen.1

These seals spend most of their lives in the water but rely on seasonal pack ice as a critical platform for giving birth, rearing their young, and molting.1