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Northern fur seals breed in dense colonies on beaches on isolated islands in the north Pacific. Some of the biggest colonies are in the Pribilof Islands, where these photos were taken. The huge males (which, at 300 kg, can be 6 times bigger than adult females) stake out small territories and attempt to accumulate groups of females (upper right). Territories are defended ferociously and only the biggest males have a chance, so younger, smaller males usually hang out in separate 'batchelor' herds (upper left). For many years these seals flourished on the Pribilofs despite a controlled cull of about 20,000 young males a year, harvested for their pelts. The commercial killing stopped some years ago (a few are killed each eyar for food by the Pribilof islanders), but populations are declining for unknown reasons. |
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