Seal

Playful and inquisitive, seals have long been interested in humans—and humans have reciprocated that interest, falling for their beauty, grace, and charm as they frolic alongside our boats or loll on sandy shores. In this newest entry in the Animal series, Victoria Dickenson traces the history of our interaction with these beautiful, fascinating swimmers, from the centuries of hunting—in which people killed countless seals for their skin, oil, and meat—to the present, when the white-furred baby