Found in a 120 year old time capsule.

fun fact, those actually aren’t nails! those are full-on CLAWS.

seal claws are razor-sharp and can be several inches long! they’re the seal’s main defense against sharks, and they work pretty well because not even a 12-foot-long great white likes to be clawed directly in the eyeball by what is, if we are truly honest with ourselves, basically just an aquatic bear.

there are plenty of sharks out there who came in from the wrong angle and ended up losing an eye for it- seal scars are very distinctive and are the mark of an unwary predator who bit off more than it could chew!

Compare and contrast with sea lions and Polar bears. (these seal nails pictured are maintained in human care to avoid the stabbies).

True seals also use those claws to hold slippery fish so they can bite off chunks if they need to.

Sea lions do NOT have claws/talons on their front flippers, only on their back ones, and they're like a third of the way up so they literally have to fold over their foot to scratch. And literally all those nails are for are grooming.

Here's the sandy little feet of a galapagos sea lion (+bonus stumpy tail)

The weirdest part is that sea lions have holes where the nails should be in front.

Extra extra bonus Manatee flippernails - really makes you remember this is the cousin of an elephant. (Dugongs, however, lack nails entirely)