Seals

Of the world’s 33 living species of seals, seven can be found in the North Atlantic. There used to be two species of seals in the Faroe Islands, but since the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) disappeared in the mid-19th century, the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) has been the only one with a breeding population on the islands. However, several Arctic seals have made their way past Faroese waters from time to time.

Based on genetic studies, it is known that the grey seal came to the Faroe Islands from the British Isles after the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago. It is relatively large, and the males can reach a length of 2.3 m and a weight of about 300 kg. In Faroese, the grey seal is called »láturkópur«, where »látur« (laughter) refers to the loud sounds that the seals use extensively when socialising.

The grey seal mostly stays close to the coast and rarely goes out where the sea is deeper than 100 m. It is mainly seen on the most inaccessible parts of the coast facing the open sea. Here, the coastal landscape is characterised by steep rock walls, which are intersected by gorges and caves. While grey seals elsewhere give birth to their young in open landscapes on islets, rocks and small islands off the coast, the Faroese grey seal mainly breed in caves in the rocks. From late September to December, the female gives birth to a single pup. The pup has a white fur that is not waterrepellent, and it must therefore stay on land until it molts its birth coat. The pup weighs about 15 kg at birth. The female’s milk is very rich in fat, and during the two-week nursing period, the cub increases its weight to around 50 kg. The female then abandons the pup, which is then left to fend for itself.

Grey seals have been hunted since the first settlements (landnam). The pups in particular were easy prey, as their birth coat prevented them from escaping into the sea. Equipped with torches, people sailed out to the breeding dens in October where they ambushed and clubbed the pups and adult seals to death. The seal meat was eaten and the blubber melted into oil, while the skin was tanned and used for shoes and bags.

In two cases, grey seals were even the object of prize hunting, because, according to the fishermen, the population had become so large that it was affecting their fishing. During a three-year prize hunt in the 1960s, 970 grey seals were killed. In this connection, the total population of grey seals in the Faroe Islands was estimated at 3,000 individuals with an annual production of pups of around 500. Grey seals are no longer hunted, and the Faroese population is currently estimated at around 1,000 individuals.

Arctic seals occasionally stray into Faroese waters as they migrate south. The small ringed seal (Pusa hispida), which is otherwise closely associated with the Arctic ice, has recently been observed in the Faroe Islands twice, just as five ringed seals were reported during the prize hunt in the 1960s. The barely 3 m long and up to 400 kg heavy hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) used to be more common in Faroese waters. During the prize hunt of the 1960s, three hooded seals were killed, and in April-May, hooded seals were often caught by the salmon lines that the fishermen set 100‑200 nautical miles north of the Faroe Islands. The observations are confirmed by satellite tracking, which shows that the hooded seal migrates to Faroese waters in early spring and summer to forage.

In the past, individual harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) were also caught on the salmon lines, and it was also not unusual for them to appear during the seal hunts. However, harp seals have not been seen in Faroese waters recently. On the other hand, several bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) have been observed, which have not previously been recorded in the Faroe Islands. The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) appears only as an occasional guest, and visits are far between. In 2010 and 2013, respectively, two walruses that made their way past the Faroe Islands were tagged so that they could be followed with satellite tracking. The first walrus headed straight back towards Svalbard, where it came from, while the other visited the Orkney Islands, Iceland and Norway before returning to the Arctic Ocean.

Disappearance of the harbour seal

Until the mid-19th century, the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) bred in the Faroe Islands, and old accounts tell of a population which was roughly the same size as the population of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus).

With a length of 1.2‑2 m and a weight of 65‑140 kg, the harbour seal is considerably smaller than the grey seal, and unlike its larger relative, it bred in the more sheltered areas inside the fjords. In Faroese, it was therefore called »innanfjarðaði« (the seal in the fjord). The pups were born in May-June on the islets and skerries of the fjords where they spent the three to four weeks that the suckling period lasted.

The easily accessible living and breeding grounds made the harbour seal very vulnerable to hunting, and hunting intensity was high. The most common hunting method was sláa kóp (club the seal), where the seals were killed with a blow to the head with a club. The blubber was particularly valuable and was melted into oil and used for, e.g., lighting. The meat was eaten, whereas the skin was tanned and used for shoes and bags.

Since its disappearance, the harbour seal has been seen in the Faroe Islands several times. They were probably isolated strays from the Shetland Islands, and they have so far failed to re-establish a Faroese population.

Further reading

• Benthic animals
• Fish
• Landscapes and coasts on the Faroe Islands
• Nature and environmental management
• Whales
• Wildlife in the sea around the Faroe Islands

Read more about Nature and landscape on the Faroe Islands