The most distinguished feature of the seal is the flipper. This sets the seal apart from other pinnipeds. They have short foreflippers with a claw on each toe. The hind flippers are also clawed. The flippers have a thin webbing of skin, enabling them to move through the water with grace.
Seals can flex their toes to groom themselves or haul themselves out of water.
The hind flippers angle toward the rear and cannot be rotated forward. This is a hindrance for seals. For a seal to move across dry land, it must balance its weight on to the fore flippers and crawl along using their bellies. Seals have more girth than most of the other pinnipeds. They are not as sleek and can even appear chubby.