Whiskers (vibrissae) are very sensitive to tremors in the water, because the nerves at the base of the whiskers can detect extremely small deflections. A seal is able to detect a swimming fish by the movements in the water. This enables seals to catch fish in murky or deep water even though their eyesight in these conditions is poor. Even a completely blind seal is able to catch prey with the help of its whiskers. The SRRC always releases blind seals back into the wild because they are able to survive without any problems. Seals use their whiskers on land too. When they approach each other, inspect something closely or when they are curious, they spread their whiskers out wide to gather extra information. They also feel with their whiskers.
Why does a seal have whiskers?
