Seal facts for kids

The word Seal can mean many different things! It might refer to a cute ocean animal, a way to close something tightly, an official stamp, or even a famous musician. Let's explore the different meanings of "seal."

Ocean Animals Called Seals

When you hear "seal," you might first think of a marine mammal. These animals are called pinnipeds, which means "fin-footed." They are large ocean mammals that spend most of their lives in the water but come to land or ice to rest and have their babies.

There are three main types of pinnipeds:

• Earless seals: These are also known as "true seals." They don't have visible ear flaps and move on land by wiggling their bodies.
• Eared seals: These seals have small, visible ear flaps. They can "walk" on their flippers, making them more agile on land.
• Walrus: These are the largest pinnipeds, famous for their long tusks.

People have hunted seals for a long time, both for personal use and for business. This is called Seal hunting.

Did you know there's a color named after seals? Seal brown is a very dark brown color. It got its name from the color of dyed fur from a type of seal called a Fur seal.

Sealing Things Up: Making a Tight Fit

Sometimes, "seal" means to close something very tightly. This helps to keep things in or out, like air or water.

• A Seal (mechanical) is a special device. It helps to keep pressure inside a machine or prevent liquids from leaking out. Think of the rubber ring on a water bottle that stops it from dripping.
• A Diaphragm seal is a flexible part. It acts like a thin wall that separates two areas. This keeps things from mixing while still allowing pressure to be measured.

Official Seals: Symbols of Authority

A "seal" can also be an official stamp or mark. These marks show that something is real or approved by an important person or group.

• A Seal (device) is a tool used to make an official mark. This mark, often made in wax, shows authority. The word "seal" comes from the Latin word sigillum, meaning "small symbol."
• Cylinder seals were used long ago in ancient times. They were small cylinders carved with pictures. People would roll them onto wet clay to create a story or design.
• The Great Seal of the United States has been used since 1782. It helps to make important government documents official.
• The Great Seal of the Realm is used in the United Kingdom. It makes official documents from the monarch (the King or Queen) valid.
• The Imperial Seal of Japan is called "Noble Symbol of Chrysanthemum." It is a special symbol of the Japanese emperor.
• The Knights Templar Seal was used by the Knights Templar. It made their documents official and approved by their order.
• The Seal of Solomon is a famous magical ring from old legends. It was said to belong to the wise King Solomon.
• The Nintendo Seal of Quality is a gold stamp. Nintendo uses it to show that a video game is officially licensed. This means it will work correctly on their game consoles.

People Named Seal

Some people have "Seal" as their name!

• Seal (musician) (his full name is Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel) is a famous singer. He is known for his soulful music. He has released several albums, including:
  • Seal (1991 album)
  • Seal (1994 album)
  • Seal (2003 album)
• Jaynie Seal (born 1973) is an Australian television presenter.
• Lou Seal is the fun mascot for the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

Places Called Seal

Many places around the world are named "Seal." Some of these names came from the marine mammal.

• Seal Beach is a city in California, USA.
  • The Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is a US Navy base located there.
• Seal Island is a small island near Cape Town in South Africa. It is famous for its large number of seals.
• Seal Island Bridge is a bridge in Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Seal, Kent is a village in England. Its name likely comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word for "copse of sallow-trees."

SEAL as an Acronym

Sometimes, "SEAL" is an acronym. This means each letter stands for a word.

• The United States Navy SEALs are special forces of the US Navy. Their name comes from "SEa, Air, Land." This shows they can operate anywhere.
  • The Advanced SEAL Delivery System is a small submarine. It helps Navy SEALs travel secretly underwater.
• SEAL (cipher) is a fast way to encrypt (or code) information on computers.
• SEAL (Sea Scout Leadership Training) is a training course. It helps young Sea Scouts learn how to be good leaders.

Ships Named Seal

Several ships have been named "Seal."

• HMS Seal (N37) was a submarine in the Royal Navy (the British navy).
• USS Seal has been the name of two submarines in the United States Navy.
• Red seal ships were Japanese merchant ships in the early 1600s. They had special red-sealed permits from the government.

Seal in Computers

• SEAL GUI is a type of computer program. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for an older computer system called DOS.

See also

In Spanish: Seal (desambiguación) para niños