Unlike other seals found in Antarctica, Fur Seals are not true seals. They are from the eared seal family. They reside on the rocky shores of islands found in western Antarctica and average adults weigh 350 pounds (160 kilos). Although extremely sociable among other Fur Seals, they are known to bit humans without provocation and move well enough to outrun humans on land.
These poor manners were not helped by the fact that Fur Seals were heavily hunted during the 19th century. At one point, their total population was reduced to a few thousand. Fur Seals were placed under protection at the beginning of this century and have made a remarkable recovery.
Their breeding season begins in December and takes place in very large, dense colonies. At colonies on South Georgia Island, seal populations increase by an average of 17% a year. This translates to their population doubling every five years.