The males are extremely territorial over their harems and will exert themselves in violent and loud battles echoing personalized calls to claim their property and prove their power. The females arrive at the rookery site throughout the month of June, giving birth only days after coming in from sea. After their pups are born mating season begins and the females make frequent trips out to sea to collect food and to gain weight for their growing pup's main meal, milk. The seals are dark brown in color with thick gray hairs on the backs of the neck. The female seals have grayish black backs and silver-gray bellies.
Pups are black at birth.
Most females, pups, and young males leave the Bering Sea in late November to migrate as far south as southern California and Japan. Mother fur seals leave for eight to 10 days at time soon after the pup is born and hunger often drives the scared pup into the water. Despite the fledgling fur seals' bravery and quick learning, five to twelve percent of all pups die during their first month of life. Hookworm causes anemia in the small sea creatures, and they eventually starve. The Russian arctic fox is a fox subspecies and does not turn white at all.