January 10th
International Seal Day
This international day has been set on January 10, reminding us every year that we should not be indifferent to the permanent disappearance of some animal species from our planet in the future, which are greatly threatened by commercial hunting. Already in 1946, a total of 17 whaling states of the time signed the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling in Washington, and the Czech Republic also agreed to this convention at the time.
The common seal is one of the most widespread species of seals. It inhabits coastal waters of the northern hemisphere, from the temperate zone to polar regions. There are five subspecies described based on their distribution. Seals are excellent swimmers and can dive to great depths. They feed on various types of fish, such as herring, cod, and haddock. One interesting fact about the common seal is that the pup loses its newborn fur shortly after birth, allowing it to follow its mother into the water. Despite relatively high population numbers, they are threatened by human activities, such as overfishing, loss of food sources, pollution of coastal waters, global warming, and viral diseases. They are protected by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, which is part of the Antarctic Treaty System.
South African fur seals, unlike Greenland seals, which are primarily hunted for fur in Canada, are not currently threatened by the melting of icebergs, and their numbers are still sufficient. However, it remains to be seen how long this will remain the case. Fur seals differ from seals in their ear flaps and movement. They use their flippers sideways on land, while seals cannot. The same applies to their movement in water. Seals use their tail flippers and only use their side flippers for steering, while fur seals do the opposite. Fur seals also sleep on land, while seals sleep underwater.
