The hooded seal was thought to be a rare wanderer along the Icelandic shores, but is now considered to be much more common then originally estimated. This seal usually travels alone and does not go onshore unless it’s ill.

The hooded seal has never been seen in the Húnaflói area, but a few sightings have been reported around the Strandir area. This seal is similar to the grey seal and it’s patched in a grey colour. The males are known for balloons or hoods on their head, which they inflate to impress the females and to warn of the competition. From these hoods the seal draws its name.

In March the females give birth to one pup, out on the sea ice. They feed the pups milk for almost a week, and then they leave. From that moment on the pup has to take care of itself. The hooded seal’s main food supply consists of various fish such as codfish, redfish and shrimp.

This seal was hunted by both Norwegians and Canadians in big quantities in earlier times, but this sealery has now mostly been stopped. Now the world’s hooded seal stock is estimated around 550.000 animals.

In Iceland the hooded seal is mostly spotted along the North Coast, but seals with transmitters for satellites have travelled far south of the island. In the past the hooded seal was hunted along the north coast and then mainly adult males.

Drawing: Jón Baldur Hlíðberg