It is here, during the pupping, nursing, and molting periods, that they are most commonly seen. As sea ice recedes northward and melts in May and June, ribbon seals use the shrinking ice remnants, mainly in the central Bering Sea. When that ice disappears, they become pelagic, living in the open sea. The center of abundance probably remains in the Bering Sea during the open water period, though it is known that they occur from the Pacific Ocean side of the Aleutian Islands to the summer-autumn ice edge in the northern Chukchi Sea. The population has increased since the 1960s, and more sightings outside of the Bering Sea are being made.
Ribbon seals are surprisingly tolerant of boats and humans.
They frequently rest on the ice at considerable distance from water and for considerable periods without lifting their heads to look around. Pups are left unattended by their mothers for long periods of time. These traits suggest that ribbon seals mainly occupy regions relatively free from predation by foxes, polar bears, and humans. They tend to be solitary, though many will occur loosely scattered throughout favorable areas. Their movement over the ice is different from that of the other northern seals.