Harbor Seal, 2018 (Arctic & Antarctic Wildlife by Schleich)

In Celtic mythology there exists a creature known as a selkie, a shapeshifting being that takes on the form of a seal when in the water but can transform into a human by removing its sealskin on land. Selkie stories often involve a romantic relationship between a human male and female selkie wherein the human hides her sealskin so she cannot return to the sea, forcing her into marriage but resulting in an unhappy life for the selkie. Incidentally, two of my daughter’s favorite movies are Irish movies about selkies, Song of the Sea and The Secret of Roan Inish. This makes the seal the perfect animal to feature on the blog this St. Patrick’s Day; in keeping with my tradition of featuring Irish animals on the blog for the holiday.   

Today we’re looking at the Schleich 2018 harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Also known as the common seal, this species is found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere and is the most widely distributed species of seal. Along with the gray seal they’re one of the two resident seal species of Ireland.

Schleich has produced many harbor seals over the years with this one being their seventh and most recent. It is also the one that is currently in production. The figure measures 4.75” (12 cm) in total length and measures 4” (10.16 cm) from nose-to-tail. Female harbor seals measure 5’ 7” (1.7 meters) while males can reach a length of 6’ 3” (1.9 meters). This puts the toy in the 1/16-1/18 scale range. The figure is presented resting on its belly with its hind-flippers stretched out behind it and its fore-flippers propping up its front half. The head is lifted and inquisitively looking leftwards. It’s very cute, but so are actual harbor seals.

The head appears a bit oversized, and the body a bit thin, making it look more like a juvenile than an adult. I would have preferred a smaller head and a chubbier build, but I suppose there isn’t anything technically wrong with it, fat seals are just my preference. The head is appropriately robust with a long snout and visible earholes behind the eyes. Bunched up fat rolls cascade down the neck and five digits are sculpted on each flipper. A fine coat of fur is etched into the sculpt.

Harbor seals can be tan, gray, or nearly black with spotted patterning that can vary greatly in the density of spots. This seal is dark gray along the back with lighter gray flanks and underside and a scattering of dark spots along the flanks. It has a wet-like gloss painted over it and the eyes and nose are shiny black. Where the whiskers would be are picked out with black specks over the muzzle.

The color is a bit bland to my eye. I would have preferred heavier patterning along the back but again, that’s just my personal preference and there’s nothing wrong with the figure itself. Schleich’s previous harbor seal, which had a production run between 2013-2018, is almost identical to this one in form but has a far more complex paintjob, with dark blotches over the back and heavy speckling along the sides. I like the look of that one better, but not enough to pay secondary market prices for it.

Although I would have personally preferred a chubbier build and heavier patterning, this is still one of the better harbor seal models around and I recommend it. ToyMany also has a recently released harbor seal that’s dynamically posed resting on its side and waving. It’s part of a polar animals set and might be worth looking into if you don’t like this one. Speaking of sets, Schleich also makes a pup companion to pair with this figure. Lastly, I wish everyone who celebrates it a safe and fun St. Patrick’s Day.