Are Caspian seals aggressive?

Caspian seals are shallow divers, typically descending to a depth of about 50 meters (164 ft) for about a minute while searching for food. After diving, they rest on the surface before gliding back under the water.

This species is found nowhere else on Earth. Adults emerge on rocky islands, drift ice, and remote sandbars following seasonal changes in water temperature. During winter and the colder parts of spring and autumn, seals live in the northern Caspian Sea.

The Caspian seal is one of the smallest true seals. Adults range in length from about 126 to 129 cm (50–51 in) and weigh about 86 kg (190 lb).

Males grow slowly for several decades, while females experience rapid growth until the age of ten. Their skull and dental structure are closely related to beaked seals, and both species share a common ancestor with ancient ringed seals that once roamed free in waterways that later became extinct.

These seals are adapted to extreme temperatures, from freezing winters of −35 °C (−31 °F) to summers reaching 40 °C (104 °F); their thick fur and physical flexibility allow them to survive in conditions that push the limits of most marine mammals.

Caspian seals are primarily piscivorous, consuming 2 to 3 kilograms (about 4–6 pounds) of prey each day. Their diet varies with the seasons and the geography of the ocean. In the shallow waters of the northern Caspian Sea, they feed on gobies, sculpins, and crustaceans. Further south in the summer months, they prey on herring, roach, carp, smelt, and sprat. When they enter rivers, they feed heavily on a freshwater species, Sander luciperca.

As top predators, seals accumulate pollutants such as heavy metals, radionuclides, and organochlorine compounds in their tissues, making them important indicators of the environmental health of the ocean.