Pacific Harbor Seal, Phoca vitulina richardii

True Seals of the Phocidae Family are in the Order Carnivora and are thought to be descendants of modern Bears. They are in the Infraorder Pinnipedia (Pinnipeds that are the Eared Seals, True Seals and Walrus. Pinnipeds are large mammals, adapted to an aquatic life. The name Pinniped comes from the Latin word for fin, or wing, footed, because the fore and hind limbs are shaped like fins or paddles. The long limb bones are enclosed within the spindle-shaped body. The torso skeletal structure allows for efficient swimming while also allowing for land locomotion. All have short tails.

True Seals differ from Eared Seals in that they lack an external ear flap. They are sometimes called earless seals, but this is a misnomer in that they do have internal ears. Also, True Seals swim with their hind-flippers and use their fore-flippers to steer- just the opposite of Eared Seals. On land, they cannot walk on all fours, but drag themselves by pulling with their fore-flippers. This is an effective technique on ice, but less so on rock or sand. They have a thick blubber layer that can make up 25% of their body weight. Adults in the Family have short, stiff hair, but also may be almost hairless; some species display spots or bands on their coats. The fore-flippers have well developed claws and are shorter than those of Eared Seals being less than 25% of the body length. The hind-flippers are longer than the fore-flippers and extend straight to the rear. The True Seals range in size from the Ringed Seal (90 kg, 200 lbs) to the Southern Elephant Seal (3,600 kg, 7,920 lbs). True Seals tend to be less social than Eared Seals. Like Eared Seals, they require access to land in order to breed and give birth, but overall, spend more of their time farther out to sea than Eared Seals. True Seals eat fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, fish, penguins, Plankton and other seals. In turn they are preyed upon by sharks, Killer Whales, and other Seals.

True Seals are found globally in every ocean except the Indian Ocean. There are 19 species in the Phocidae Family of which 11 are found in either Arctic or Antarctic waters with only a few species venture into the tropics. Some are found in rivers, and the Baikal Seal is found only in Lake Baikal in Russia. True Seals are accomplished divers, with the Southern Elephant Seal reaching depths of 2,390 m (7,835 feet). Only the Northern Elephant Seal, Mirounga angustirostris, and the Pacific Harbor Seal, Phoca vitulina richardii, are found in Mexican waters.