Article Summary

In the National Geographic article titled, "Cute Killers?" Traci Watson explains why grey seals who are often viewed as adorable and cuddly are actually vicious killers. First Watson gives us an example of this by including a story from a professional marine biologist, Sebastian Fuhrmann, that talks about how a grey seal tore apart a young harbor seal. Next the author includes facts about large numbers of mangled harbor porpoise carcasses beginning to wash up along the southeastern region of the North Sea about a decade ago. She then gives convincing statements on why grey seals may be the cause for all the harbor porpoises death. She also includes many stories of people actually seeing grey seals attacking a harbor porpoise by locking its jaws onto the porpoise's head.  In addition to all these examples the author also explains how scientists have been able to find actual grey deal DNA in the carcasses of harbor porpoises. Finally the author explains the theory that maybe the grey seals we thought were adorable aren't so adorable and instead commit gruesome attacks on mammals much larger than them like the harbor porpoise.