harbor seal

noun

1. a small, spotted seal, Phoca vitulina, of the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe and the Pacific coast of northern North America.

Word History and Origins

Origin of harbor seal¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

The waters east of the Golden Gate Bridge were chock- full of life — sea lions and harbor seals galore — but not a cetacean to be seen.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s shown up in aquatic mammals, such as harbor seals and porpoises, too.

From Seattle Times

Summer 2022 Hundreds of harbor seals and gray seals die along the coast of Maine and along the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec.

From New York Times

You may also see sea lions resting on interior cave rocks or harbor seals outside the cave.

From Los Angeles Times

Gerraty started hearing about the decapitated harbor seals as he was doing research on the coastal coyotes’ diet; he said it was well documented that they would scavenge already-dead seals.

From Los Angeles Times