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Common Harbor Seal

Common Harbor Seal line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Common Harbor Seal full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Common Harbor Seal was completed on 8/22/2011. I recently returned from a SCUBA dive in the Channel Islands (which are about 30-40 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara in California.) I did several dives, and on a few of them, we were accompanied by a few of these playful pinnipeds. As I swam, I thought I had caught my fin in some kelp, and without looking reached back to clear it. Later, I saw a seal playfully nibbling on the fins of my friend, and realized this was likely what I had felt. After I got back I resolved to draw one of these seals, in large part because they had helped make the diving such a rewarding experience.

Information about the Common Harbor Seal:

Harbor or Common Seals are found in both the northern hemisphere of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They are members of the family Phocidae. They are "true" seals commonly found in the coastal waters, growing to about 6 feet long (1.8 meters) and weighing roughly 300 pounds (130 kg.) It is estimated the entire worldwide population of these pinnipeds is between 5-6 million individuals. At one time these seals were hunted for their coasts, but bans on seal hunts have allowed the animals numbers to stabilize, although there are some subspecies that are considered threatened. The seals feed on a variety of ocean life, such as fish, crabs, shrimp, squid and even occasionally sea birds. They agile swimmers, but like other seals are sluggish on land.