Hooded seals are a less numerous seal than the harp, but inhabit the same regions of the world.
These seals feed on fish, squid, shrimp and mussels. They are large and very distinct in appearance. Both sexes have irregular black patches on a silvery background. The males which reach up to 9 feet and weigh 900 pounds, have a very unusual nasal sac which can inflate to twice the size of a football for courtship display or if angered. In addition, there is another membrane within the nostril that can inflate to a red balloon-like sac.