Wild Chronicles heads to the wintry waters of the North Atlantic to solve a mystery—two populations of seals share Sable Island's harsh environment, yet one is thriving and the other is not. To find out why, scientists called on National Geographic's Crittercam® to help them see as seals see and go where humans can't. Now Crittercam® is back from the deep freeze, the evidence is in and the mysteries of the seals are exposed.
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What two types of seals inhabit Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada?
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Grey seals and harbor seals both live on Sable Island.
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What is the major difference between the two types of seals?
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Grey seals are larger than harbor seals.
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Scientists on Sable Island use Crittercam® to observe seal behavior. What particular behavior do they hope to observe?
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Scientists hope to see if grey seals and harbor seals have the same sources of food, and use similar hunting techniques.
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Do both seal populations feed on the same food source?
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Yes, both grey and harbor seals feed primarily on a fish called the sand lance.
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What is the difference in the hunting techniques of the seal populations?
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Grey seals hunt sand lances near the ocean floor, while harbor seals hunt in the open ocean, where the fish swim in schools.
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Crittercam
Noun
camera designed to be worn on a wild animal, providing a "critter-eye view" of the animal's environment.
environment
Noun
conditions that surround and influence an organism or community.
seal
Noun
marine mammal with flippers and a sleek coat.