Cystophora cristata; Print; The hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) is a large phocid found only in the central and western North Atlantic; ranging from Svalbard in the east to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the west. The seals are typically silver-grey or white in colour; with black spots that vary in size covering most of the body. Hooded seal pups are known as "blue-backs" because their coats are blue-grey on the back with whitish bellies; though this coat is shed after 14 months of age when the pups molt.; 1700-1880