International Day of the Seal Trivia Questions

Elephant seals can hold their breath for up to 90 minutes during deep dives, thanks to high oxygen stores and slowed heart rate.

Seals' eyes have spherical lenses adapted for underwater vision. In air, the added corneal refraction causes myopia, making them near-sighted on land, though slit pupils improve depth of field.

Conservation groups worldwide observe International Day of the Seal on March 22 to promote seal protection and awareness, though it is not an official UN day.

Not all seal pups are white. While harp, ringed, and some other seals have white birth coats, many species like harbor seals and elephant seals are born with dark or spotted fur.

Seals exhibit unihemispheric sleep, allowing half their brain to rest while the other stays alert to predators and to surface for air.

Seals have highly sensitive whiskers that detect water movements, allowing them to hunt fish even in complete darkness.

The day was actually initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), not Greenpeace, though Greenpeace supports it.

True seals (family Phocidae) lack external ear flaps, while sea lions (family Otariidae) have visible external ears. This is a key physical difference between the two groups.