Mammals
Antarctic Fur Seal
Arctocephalus gazella · also called Antarctic fur seals, Kerguelen fur seal
Packed into a dense breeding colony on the shores of South Georgia, thousands of Antarctic fur seals crowd the beach, a population now numbering in the millions that was hunted to the very edge of extinction little more than a century ago.
Overview
The Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella, is a krill-dependent pinniped native to polar and subpolar coastal and offshore waters across the Southern Ocean, particularly around South Georgia and other subantarctic islands. Its dramatic recovery from near extinction, current status as one of the most abundant seals in the Southern Ocean, and close ecological dependence on krill make it one of the more remarkable conservation success stories among the world’s marine mammals.
From the brink of extinction to millions strong
Few species have rebounded as dramatically as the Antarctic fur seal, hunted down to a tiny remnant population by the early 20th century before rebuilding itself into one of the most numerous seal species found anywhere in the Southern Ocean today.
Status
Least Concern and increasing, having recovered from near extinction to become one of the most abundant seal species in the Southern Ocean.
Antarctic Fur Seal: common questions
How close did the Antarctic fur seal come to extinction?
This species was hunted so intensively for its fur during the 18th and 19th centuries that it was pushed to the very brink of extinction, with only a small remnant population surviving into the 20th century before legal protection allowed a remarkable recovery to begin.
How abundant is the Antarctic fur seal today?
Following legal protection, this species has rebounded so dramatically that it is now considered one of the most abundant seal species in the Southern Ocean, with a population numbering in the millions, a striking turnaround from its near-extinction just over a century ago.
Why does the Antarctic fur seal depend so heavily on krill?
This species relies heavily on krill as a primary food source within the productive waters of the Southern Ocean, a dependence that ties the health of Antarctic fur seal populations closely to the abundance and availability of krill in its subantarctic range.
Where does the Antarctic fur seal breed?
This species breeds in dense colonies on a number of subantarctic islands, with South Georgia hosting the vast majority of the global breeding population, making it one of the most important single sites for this species anywhere in the Southern Ocean.