Marine mammals In the water (and under the ice), the main year-round species is the ringed seal subspecies, the Arctic ringed seal. It lives offshore within of land. In winter, it makes a number of breathing holes in the ice, up to thick. It visits each one often to keep the hole open and free from ice. In March, when a female is ready to whelp, she will enlarge one of the breathing holes that has snow over it, creating a small "igloo" where she whelps one or two pups. Within three weeks the pups are in the water and swimming. In summer, some ringed seals keep to a narrow territory about along the shoreline but may move out into the open water. In the spring they spend more time on the surface of the ice.
Marine mammals In the water (and under the ice), the main year-round species is the ringed seal subspecies, the Arctic ringed seal. It lives offshore within of land. In winter, it makes a number of breathing holes in the ice, up to thick. It visits each one often to keep the hole open and free from ice. In March, when a female is ready to whelp, she will enlarge one of the breathing holes that has snow over it, creating a small "igloo" where she whelps one or two pups Within three weeks the pups are in the water and swimming. In summer, some ringed seals keep to a narrow territory about along the shoreline but may move out into the open water. In the spring they spend more time on the surface of the ice.