Seal Pup PSA

While strolling along our beach on Labor Day, we nearly stumbled on the adorable baby seal in this week’s photo. The newborn pup still had fetal folds. Our small genius dog, Nashoba, was off-leash at the time. She spied the boo-boo before we did, approaching the tiny cutie in a curious, non-threatening way. Fortunately, Miss Nashoba responds to our voice commands and she stopped short of touching noses when we told her to "leave it!" To our relief, she did not scare the pup or flush her/him off the beach.

Knowing that Mother Seal could be nearby watching us, we leashed up Nashoba, lavished her with praise for not upsetting the baby, and moved back several hundred yards. Sans chien, we quickly took photos to help with identification in case other folks call about this seal pup. For several hours, we acted as seal sitters, monitoring the baby from a distance until s/he returned to the water with the rising tide.

Now for the somewhat redundant PSA: Harbor Seal pupping season is here. Most seal pups on shore are not abandoned or ill. Mother seals leave their pups alone, sometimes for many hours, while they hunt for food. Pups nap on beaches, rafts, boat ramps, stairs, and bulkheads.

Hauling out is normal pinniped behavior. Pinnipeds -- seals and sea lions -- must do it everyday. They come ashore to rest, thermoregulate, mate, give birth, nurse young, and molt. In urban Puget Sound, pinnipeds use manmade structures and even large marine debris because many shorelines are unnatural and highly developed.

If humans and dogs hover around a seal pup or prevent the mother from returning to care for him/her, Mom might ditch her baby. Sadly, pup mortality is 50%. Disrupting feeding and maternal bonding jeopardizes pup survival. When well-meaning but ill-informed humans interfere with natural behavior by attempting to "rescue" seal pups who are not in distress, the wee waifs inevitably go to wildlife rehab centers where they face an uncertain future. Humans are poor substitutes for seal moms.

Disturbing marine mammals is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Disturbance occurs when people impede a marine mammal’s ability to hunt, feed, rest, breed, communicate, socialize, or care for young. Moreover, frightened seals can bite and transmit diseases to dogs and humans.

Newborn seals look appealing and helpless on land, but resist the urge to touch or feed them. Do not move them, pour water on them, cover them with blankets, or place them in a backpack, car, bathtub – you get the idea. If possible, stay at least 100 yards away from pups on shore -- respect their space.

About dogs roaming the Island unsupervised: owners/parents, please be responsible for your pooches, for their safety and the well-being of our wild neighbors. On several occasions this summer, we intervened to deter dogs behaving in a predatory manner from harming wildlife.

Early one morning, a dog we did not recognize was in a standoff with an agitated raccoon trapped offshore in water up to her haunches. After considerable coaxing, the dog reluctantly withdrew, and the raccoon limped up the hillside into the blackberry bushes. What a rude awakening for the owner if the dog came back with an injury or disease from the raccoon (e.g., leptospirosis).

Another time, we interrupted four dogs stalking a mother river otter. Two dogs pursued by water, swimming after her. The dogs blocked her from delivering flounders to hungry youngsters in her den. Fortunately, the dogs retreated sheepishly when we sternly admonished them and thwarted their access to the otter.

Under different circumstances, these dogs likely would not threaten an otter. Solo at home, Rover is probably a cuddly sweetheart, contentedly dismembering a squeaky toy, but watch out when he cavorts with his canine buddies. Dogs are social predators; when they form packs, they can misbehave. Ask Wolftown. I dread the thought of malicious dogs finding our baby seal.

Please support the work of the Vashon Hydrophone Project (VHP): REPORT LOCAL WHALE SIGHTINGS ASAP TO 463-9041, as well as sick, injured, or dead marine mammals on Island beaches. Do not intervene with marine mammals by yourself, without clear direction from an authorized stranding responder. Many situations involving seal pups can be resolved with a phone call. Check for updates at Vashonorcas.org and send photos to Orca Annie at

Vashonorcas@aol.com.