Helicopter pilot Budd Christman with a pal - ribbon seal pup, Phoca fasciata.

The ribbon seal (Phoca fasciata syn. Histriophoca fasciata) is a medium-sized pinniped from the true seal family (Phocidae). A seasonally ice-bound species, it is found in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the North Pacific Ocean, notably in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk. It is distinguished by its striking coloration, with two wide white strips and two circles against dark brown or black fur.



Image ID: anim0247, NOAA's Ark (Animals) Collection
Location: Bering Sea
Photo Date: 1978 May
Photographer: Captain Budd Christman, NOAA Corps

Photo Source:
The NOAA Photo Library http://www.photolib.noaa.gov
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) http://www.noaa.gov/