Question 1

True or false: Adult bearded seals can weigh up to 400 kilograms, making them one of the largest Arctic seals.

Accepted Answer

True. Bearded seals can weigh up to 430 kg, so 400 kg is well within their range. They are indeed among the heaviest Arctic seals.

Question 2

True or false: Bearded seals are the only seal species that builds snow caves to protect their pups.

Accepted Answer

False. Many Arctic seals, including ringed seals, dig lairs in snow; bearded seals give birth on floating ice without constructing caves.

Question 3

True or false: Bearded seals use their whiskers to detect prey buried in the seafloor mud.

Accepted Answer

True. Their highly sensitive vibrissae can sense subtle water movements from hidden prey like shrimp and clams, aiding foraging in murky Arctic waters.

Question 4

True or false: Male bearded seals sing complex underwater songs that can last over a minute.

Accepted Answer

True. During breeding season, males produce eerie, trilling vocalizations—some of the longest and most elaborate of any seal species.

Question 5

True or false: Bearded seals can dive deeper than 1,000 meters in search of food.

Accepted Answer

False. They are shallow divers, typically staying under 100 meters, as they feed mostly on benthic invertebrates near the seafloor.

Question 6

True or false: Bearded seals are named for their distinctive, bushy whiskers.

Accepted Answer

True. Bearded seals have prominent, curly whiskers that give them a ‘bearded’ appearance, which is the source of their common name.

Question 7

True or false: The bearded seal's scientific name, Erignathus barbatus, means 'bearded sea lion' in Greek.

Accepted Answer

False. Erignathus means 'heavy jaw' in Greek; barbatus means 'bearded' in Latin. The name does not mean 'bearded sea lion'.

Question 8

True or false: Bearded seals are known to migrate over 3,000 kilometers each year.

Accepted Answer

False. They are largely sedentary, staying within a relatively small home range in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters year-round.

Bearded Seal Trivia Questions