International Day of the Seal

Often called the ‘dogs of the sea’ because of their curiosity, playfulness, and affection, seals are also known in German as seehunds, meaning sea hounds.

International Day of Seal brings attention to these lovable marine mammals and raises awareness about their plight!

History of International Day of the Seal

International Day of the Seal was first celebrated in 1982 when it was established through the efforts of the United States Congress.

The event’s goal was to raise awareness about and draw attention to the cruelty of practices such as sea hunts, which put these sea creatures at risk. Sadly, some seals are already extinct, while others are still on the endangered list.

The hope was that this type of event would improve public information and promote better protective actions and legislation for these little creatures.

Sometimes also called International Seal Day, this event is typically celebrated in late March, but a small number of locations have it scheduled for observance on January tenth.

How to Celebrate International Day of the Seal

Get creative with ways to show support and celebrate International Day of the Seal, including some of these ideas to get started:

Help Protect Seals

Internaitonal Day of the Seal is a great time to get involved with groups and charitable organizations that work to protect those animals who can’t protect themselves, including seals.

Sign up to volunteer with such an organization or make a donation to a non-profit that is working hard to change cruel practices, introduce protective legislation, and make the seas and oceans a safer place for seals to live.

Check out some of these groups to see about getting connected:

• Seal Protection Action Group
• Seal Conservation Society
• Marine Mammal Center
• Seal Conservancy

Learn and Share Fun Facts About Seals

Did you know that seals are categorized as ‘pinnepeds’, which means they have flipper feet?!

An excellent way to increase knowledge and improve awareness for the International Day of the Seal might be to learn some interesting facts and trivia about these fascinating creatures.

Then, share it with coworkers in water cooler conversations, with family members over dinner or with friends over a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

Head over to the local library to check out a book on seals, or get started with some of these fun facts:

• Seals vary in size, with the smallest weighing around 90 pounds and the largest can weigh more than 8,000 pounds!
• Seals can sleep either on water or on land – usually on land when they are searching for warmth, and they have pups 
• Seals can hold their breath for a long time, some of them for up to two hours
• All seals have ears even if they don’t look like it – they are just located beneath the skin and can’t be seen

Get on board with celebrating not only seals but other amazing marine mammals and wildlife with some other themed days throughout the year, including Marine Mammal Rescue Day in April, International Day of Action Against Canadian Seal Slaughter in March, and World Dolphin Day in September.