A sleek head bobs out of the dark water and looks around with large, dark eyes. Then it is gone. Sailors and explorers once told stories of sea monsters or mermaids and came back with strange drawings of these sea animals. There is still a lot of confusion and curiosity surrounding the roughly 18 species, or kinds, of true seals. Most seals are found near the north or south poles where people rarely go.
Some kinds live along temperate coasts and even in freshwater lakes.
Along with sea lions, fur seals and the walrus, true seals belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds. It describes the flippers that all these animals use for moving in their water environment. All pinnipeds are specialized for living in water, but they are not all closely related. This Puffin Report is about true seals, which are very different from the sea lions and fur seals that many people have seen. True seals do not have a flap near their ear holes.