Crabeater Seal - 2017 Blue Titanium Coin

The Crabeater seal or Lobodon carcinophaga is found in a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica and is a mammal that despite its name does not feed on crabs. Its diet does include other crustaceans such as Krill which the seal, with their specially adapted sieve like teeth, are very proficient at hunting. The Crabeater Seal is by far the world’s most abundant seal and there are well over 7 million individuals.

Crabeaters move in a similar fashion to snakes and can reach speeds of 26kph on land over short distances. In the water they can swim at speeds of up to 12kmh and cover over 60km in a day. They congregate on the ice in groups of up to 1,000 individuals and in the water can be found swimming in unison in groups of several hundred.