Born in the spring on ice packs, harp seal pups go through 6 life stages:
Yellowjacket: Newborn pups with white fur tinted yellow from placental fluid are born weighing about 24 lbs. and measuring almost 3 feet long.
Whitecoat: After a few days, the yellowish tint disappears, and the pups have a fluffy white fur coat. They nurse on their mothers high-fat milk (containing about 45% fat) and triple their weight to over 75 lbs. in about 12 days. Mothers recognize their pups in the herd by their smell.
Ragged/Raggedy Jacket: After the pups are weaned at about 2 weeks of age, they start to moult in patches, leaving a dense silver-grey fur with black spots. The pups do not eat after being weaned until they begin to swim and find food on their own. This can take six weeks.
Beater: After about 18 days, the harp seal's white coat is completely moulted. They start to learn how to swim by beating the water with their front flippers, leading to the name 'beaters'.
Bedlamer: Immature seals were given this name in the 15th or 16th century by the Basque and Breton settlers in the Strait of Belle Isle. The term comes from the French 'Betes de la mer' (Animals of the Sea).
Adult: Males reach maturity at about 7-8 years of age. Females reach maturity at about 4-6 years of age.