THE ANIMAL FILES

Grey seal

Halichoerus grypus

Underwater applause is not just a trained trick.

Grey seals can produce sharp underwater sounds by clapping their flippers, a behaviour recorded in the wild. Their head shape also offers useful clues beside a harbour seal, while a varied diet connects them to fish near the seabed and other local food resources.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Grey seal
Image: Lucc77 · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reading the snout
The snout is relatively long and sloped.[1]
A wild clap
Wild seals have been filmed clapping underwater.[1]
Locally available meals
Fish form a varied, locally changing diet.[1]

Reading the snout

Compared with harbour seals, grey seals have a longer sloping snout and more widely spaced eyes. Their nostrils appear more parallel, whereas a harbour seal's tend towards a V. Several features together are more useful than relying on a single spot in a variable coat.[1]

A wild clap

Researchers recorded a seal bringing its flippers together underwater without training. Communication is the proposed context, but specific roles such as attracting a mate are explanations rather than demonstrated purposes for every clap. The observation and its interpretation should remain distinct.[1]

Locally available meals

Sand eels, cod-like fishes, flatfish and other fish can contribute, alongside invertebrates such as octopus or lobster. Important prey differ between localities.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does underwater clapping require aquarium training?

No. It has been filmed as spontaneous behaviour in wild grey seals.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why separate the recording of a clap from a claim about its purpose?

Reveal the explanation

A recording establishes that the action occurs; identifying the receiver and function needs additional evidence.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Grey seal (cited revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Halichoerus grypus

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

California sea lionThe flippers that drive a swim can also support a walk ashore.Zalophus californianus ↗WalrusThe tusks get the portrait; sensitive whiskers help find dinner.Odobenus rosmarus ↗WolfA pack is a social family, not just a contest for a title.Canis lupus ↗