The Endangered Hooded Seal That Can Inflate Its Nose to Twice the Size of a Soccer Ball

This animal, which initially looked like an ordinary seal, was quickly scurrying across the snow when it suddenly stopped and began to inflate its head. It pulled out a red pouch from near its nose and shook its head vigorously. Its unbelievable actions were like something out of a monster movie. In fact, this behavior is a courtship display that only occurs in males. The hooded seal's red nasal pouch can grow to twice the size of a soccer ball.

This mysterious animal is called the hooded seal. Its entire body is covered in mottled fur that looks like clothing worn by humans. The hooded seal is designated as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While the current population is estimated to be around 340,000, which is not small compared to other endangered species, it is classified as Vulnerable (VU). This means that there is a high possibility that it will face a high risk of extinction in the coming months or years.

Inhabiting the waters around Greenland, Canada, and Norway, the hooded seal has faced the threat of extinction due to illegal hunting. The problem of illegal hunting of hooded seals arose in the 1970s. Perhaps due to its appearance reminiscent of winter clothing, the hooded seal was frequently hunted for its fur. In particular, hooded seal pups under one year old are born with bluish-gray fur, and because of this external characteristic, they were called 'bluebacks'. People indiscriminately hunted hooded seal pups to make coats from the blueback fur. Eventually, in 1972, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) began to protect the hooded seal, but illegal hunting continued afterwards. Subsequently, in 1983, the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor to the EU, banned the import of bluebacks, and in 1987, Canada prohibited the commercial hunting of hooded seals.

Thanks to these various efforts, the hooded seal has been able to maintain its population. However, despite various restrictions, it remains classified as an endangered species. Hooded seals, which feed on squid, octopus, and shrimp, have also been targeted for culling by fishermen, who claim they interfere with fishing operations. Hooded seals are already dying after getting entangled in fishing nets used in fisheries.

Many comments were posted on YouTube videos of hooded seals inflating their nasal pouches. Most reactions were along the lines of 'interesting' and 'funny'. Just as people are interested in the hooded seal's nasal pouch, we hope that they will also be concerned about the problem of illegal hunting of various animals, including the hooded seal.