Photo: Tina Kelly
by Kit Thornton, Head of Animal Care
Harbour seal life cycle
Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are a familiar sight year round in British Columbian waters. Their lifespan ranges from 20-25 years for males, and 30-35 years for females. Both sexes can grow up to 1.85m long and weigh up to 110kg. A single pup is born on shore after a nine-month gestation and is nursed by its mother for 4-6 weeks; pups double their weight in that time thanks to the high fat content of their mother’s milk. Mothers periodically leave their pups to forage for food so it is not uncommon to see a lone seal pup on shore.
Pupping season in BC typically starts in late May and can extend into July. The majority of time this birthing and weaning of harbour seal pups goes well, however, on occasion you may come across a pup that requires assistance.
It is important the public never try to help a seal pup; although well intentioned, it can negatively affect the animal’s chance of survival and cause unintentional stress. It is also illegal to touch, feed or harass marine mammals.
Some common reasons seal pups may need assistance are: prematurity, maternal separation, injuries or disturbance. Premature pups, also known as lanugo pups, are easily distinguished from full term pups by their fluffy white coats. This white fur is normally shed in utero before the pup is born. Maternal separation can occur through predation on the mother or through disturbance from dogs or people. Seal pups are sometimes found with injuries or infections, anything from dog bites to entanglements, damaged eyes and infected wounds.
What to do
If you see a marine mammal you believe is in distress please:
1. Stay back
2. Keep people and pets away
3. Call the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre (MMR) at 604-258-SEAL (7325)
Vancouver Island has trained responders that the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre — in Vancouver — calls upon to assist in observing and rescuing orphaned, injured, and distressed seal pups. The aquarist team here at the aquarium is one of those responders and can assist in the rescue and transportation of the pup to the rehabilitation facility on the mainland. In the summer of 2020, we rescued four seals that were sent to MMR. All were released after being successfully rehabilitated.
What does the rescue and rehabilitation process look like?
From the time a concerned citizen calls into the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, the pup is monitored by the team of experts. If the seal needs to be taken into care, a trained rescuer is dispatched to the area. The rescuer will place the pup carefully in a kennel while the team at MMR organizes transport to the rehabilitation facility. Harbour Air often generously fly the pups at no cost. They may also go by boat and are occasionally airlifted by wildlife volunteer and helicopter pilot, Norm Snihur.
Once a pup arrives at MMR, it is weighed and placed in an enclosure with a heat lamp. Rescued pups are slowly tube fed electrolytes and fish formula to help them regain their strength, and any injuries are addressed. As the pups grow, they learn to eat fish and “graduate” into bigger pools with other seal pups where they to learn the skills needed to survive in the wild. Once they have proven their ability to thrive, the pups are weighed, health checked, tagged, and released back to their natural home in the ocean.
The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre expert rescuers and trained volunteers rehabilitate more than 100 marine mammals per year.