Pupping Season for Harbor Seals

Photo Credit: Justin Cox, SeaDoc Society, taken under NMFS Permit #18786-02

This story is shared with you from the Whale Museum…

It’s July, which means harbor seal pupping season is underway in the San Juan Islands and much of the Salish Sea! Keep an eye out for pups on beaches and around harbors. Recently, San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network interns responded to the pup pictured above, who was discovered resting inside a large boat’s exhaust pipe in Roche Harbor. The interns were able to distract the curious pup with a fender, luring it away from the pipe while the boat took off. This is a healthy, full-term pup, so we are hopeful that its mom is nearby!

If you see a lone, uninjured harbor seal pup on land, it is possible that the mother is out foraging or that some type of disturbance scared her away. Either way, the mother will not come back if there is activity around the pup. Remember to keep a safe distance of 100 yards and keep pets on a leash and far away. The best way to ensure a pup’s survival is to not disturb it.

If you see a harbor seal pup or stranded marine animal in the San Juans, please leave a message for the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 1-800-562-8832. If possible, let us know the exact location of the animal, its species, approximate size, when you saw it, and whether it is dead or injured.

For more information about the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, click here.

For more Whale Museum News, click here.

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