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Antarctic Fur Seal | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Antarctic Fur Seal

Arctocephalus gazella

MammaliaSub-Antarctic islands and surrounding Southern Ocean watersLeast Concern

Field profile

The Antarctic fur seal is a compact eared seal of sub-Antarctic islands, feeding mainly on krill. It was hunted almost to extinction in the nineteenth century and later rebounded spectacularly, with South Georgia holding most of the world population. Its recovery has reshaped island vegetation.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-02-08

Antarctic Fur Seal

A fur seal recovery is trampling sub-Antarctic tussock

Hunted to near extinction by the 1820s, Antarctic fur seals recovered to millions concentrated at South Georgia. The rebound is a conservation success that has become an ecological problem, as breeding seals flatten the coastal tussock grass that other species depend on.

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