Celebrate NOAA Seal and Sea Lion Week March 23–27, 2026! 🦭

Join NOAA Fisheries for Seal and Sea Lion Week, March 23–27, 2026, to learn more about the many different species they manage, protect, and study. Find out why seals are sentinels for ocean health. Explore the features below to learn about NOAA’s conservation efforts and methods.

Seal Features and Highlights

NOAA Conducts First Comprehensive Aerial Survey of Ice Seals in the Arctic

Scientists flew more than 24,000 miles over sea ice to study the abundance and distribution of seals in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. This was the first time the seals’ entire geographic range in U.S. waters was surveyed in one season.

🦭Find out more about the aerial survey of ice seals in the Arctic

Spotted seals and pups on cracked sea ice near breathing holes and tracks, with magnified callouts for clarity — Aerial image of three spotted seals, collected during the 2025 aerial surveys. A pup is just visible in the darker band of ice to the lower left of one of the adult seals–see inset. Breathing holes in the ice are typically used by ringed seals, but spotted seals will use them occasionally as depicted here, with tracks showing the seals’ movement between holes. Image collected from a survey altitude of 1,000-1,200 feet under the authority of NMFS Permit No. 23858. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

When It Comes to Tagging Seals, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

Successful science requires collaboration. Join science center seal researchers Kimberly Murray and Ellie Heywood, their Tufts University collaborator Wendy Puryear, and several other partners on a balmy 40° January day sampling and tagging gray seals on Nantucket, Massachusetts.🦭

🦭See how NOAA scientists work to sample and tag gray seals

Close up of a tagged male gray seal. — *Seal researchers tagged a gray seal pup with a satellite tag during field work in January 2026. Photo taken under MMPA Permit# 26939. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Milton Levin (Permit# 26939)*

How to Tell When a Seal, Sea Lion, or Fur Seal Needs Help

Most seals, fur seals, and sea lions seen alive on the shore are resting and do not need emergency care. These animals should only be approached, touched, or handled by authorized and trained professionals.

🦭How to tell when a seal, sea lion, or fur seal needs help

Hawaiian monk seal rests on a beach with a caution sign in the foreground — As part of community outreach in Hawai‘i, trained responders create safe areas for resting Hawaiian monk seals. Expert responders will stay on scene to engage with and educate the public about the importance of protecting this endangered species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, taken under NOAA permit #24359

New Studies Will Improve Abundance Estimates for Ice Seals in Alaska

New research on haul-out behavior helps to more accurately estimate the number of ice seals in the Arctic, and improve our efforts to conserve and monitor their populations.

🦭Check out the new studies that will improve abundance estimates for ice seals in Alaska

A ribbon seal with dark brown hair and a pattern of large white ribbons on the chest raises her head and shoulders above the water line and looks around among ice floes. — An adult female ribbon seal looks around among ice floes in the Bering Sea. Animals are much harder to detect during aerial surveys when they are in the water. Credit: NOAA Fisheries / Josh M London / Photo taken under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #23858.

2025 Monk Seal and Sea Turtle Field Season Highlights

From drone-assisted surveys to interisland rescues, the 2025 season brought new insights and conservation wins in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

🦭Check out the season’s photo highlights

A monk seal pup with a flipper up in the air, as if reaching for its mother, who is laying next to him on the beach. You can see the umbilical cord still attached to the pup. — A newborn Hawaiian monk seal reaches out to its mother. You can see that the umbilicus is still attached to this newborn seal pup. New births are an integral part of the population data collected by our Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program. Preliminary data for the number of monk seal pups born in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2025: Nihoa – 1, Mokumanamana – 6, Lalo – 47, Kamole – 47, Kapou – 25, Manawai – 12, Kuaihelani – 20, Hōlanikū – 16. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Robert McLean

Some Research Takes a Lifetime—Like the Northern Elephant Seal

Long-term research under Marine Mammal Protection Act scientific research permits provides insight into northern elephant seal moms and pups.

🦭Learn about northern elephant seal research in California

Elephant sea lion on the beach — *Example of a male elephant seal nose. Photo taken under NOAA Fisheries MMPA Permit # 23188.*

California Sea Lions as Ecosystem Indicators

California sea lions are outstanding ecosystem indicators because they consume a variety of forage species. Changes in their diet over time can be linked to changing ocean conditions that affect the availability of their prey. We’ve been studying their diet for 40 years by analyzing their scat (aka poop!).

🦭Learn more about the connection between sea lion diet and climate change

Several brown and tan California sea lions rest on top of rocky ground with seabirds while tidal wave crashes in the background. — *California sea lions at San Nicholas Island in the southern Channel Islands. Credit: U.S. Navy/Greg Sanders*

Podcast: Hawaiian Monk Seal Pupping Season

This is a special time of year in the Hawaiian Islands—it’s pupping season for Hawaiian monk seals! March through August is peak pupping season and NOAA Fisheries experts in the Pacific Islands work with partners to protect the pups during this critical time.

🦭Learn about Hawaiian monk seal pupping season

A Hawaiian monk seal pup lays in the sand — A young, female Hawaiian monk seal pup, identified as “PM6,” lying in the sand at Kalaupapa, Molokai in 2017. This is the fourth pup of mom “RI25.” Credit: NOAA/Tracy Mercer (Permit #16632-02).

Seals and Sea Lions: Did You Know?

Fun Facts About Surprising Seals

Want to know more about those cute bewhiskered seals? Look no further!

🦭Learn fun facts about seals

*Harbor and gray seals hauled out in Chatham, Massachusetts.*

Seal or Sea Lion?

Seals and sea lions are both pinnipeds, which means fin- or flipper-footed in Latin. Although seals and sea lions have similarities, they also have several distinct characteristics and adaptations that distinguish them from one another.

🦭Learn how to tell seals and sea lions apart

Infographic showing illustrated seal and sea lion and describing the differences between the two animals, such as ears, body size, flippers, etc. — At first glance, seals (true or “eared seals”) and sea lions look fairly similar. Taking a closer look, these are some of the general differences to tell these animals, such as on the harbor seal (left) and California sea lion (right) pictured above.

6 Ways We Study Seals and Sea Lions

When it comes to studying seals and seal lions, these methods get a “seal of approval” from our scientists.

🦭How we study seals and sea lions

Baby seal with rookery and beach in background — *Fur seal. (NOAA Photo)*

8 Fascinating Facts about Ribbon Seals

These Arctic ice-bound seals are known for their unique appearance.

🦭Learn more about ribbon seals

Looking down on white ice and in the center is a dark gray seal with a light gray ring pattern around its front flipper and light gray thick stripes on its head and around its lower half. — An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Photo taken from a small UAS during operations to evaluate body condition in ribbon and spotted seals. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Gavin M Brady. UAS operations are conducted under authority of NMFS Research Permit #23858 and NOAA NIF #N24-17.

Conserving Long-Lived Species: The Importance of Monitoring Decades-Old Individuals

Conservation and recovery of long-lived species like Hawaiian monk seals requires continued monitoring of individuals. Meet some of the animals that have been known to scientists for decades.

🦭Tracking long-lived species helps us protect them better

Black Hawaiian monk seal pup on left and mom on right covered in sand on the beach. — *Students at Kahuku Elementary gifted the name Uʻi Mea Ola (“beautiful survivor”) to RJ58’s (Kaimana) new pup. Credit: Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (Permit #24359)*

Hawaiian Monk Seal Updates

Get the latest monk seal updates—including new pups, relocations, and seal rescues—from NOAA Fisheries in the Pacific Islands.

🦭Hawaiian monk seal updates

Hawaiian monk seal resting on his back on a remote beach. — *A temporary satellite tag allows NOAA to monitor Koalani’s exploration of his ocean environment (when he’s not napping!). Credit: Hawaii Marine Animal Response (NOAA Fisheries Permit #18786)*

Please, No Selfies with the Seals: 6 Ways to View Wildlife Responsibly

Although it can be tempting to try to get close to marine animals, it’s always best to view them from a safe and respectful distance, for their safety—and yours. Learning how to interact with and observe ocean animals can help you make the right decisions when you encounter them by water, land, or air.

🦭6 Ways to View Wildlife Responsibly