Did somebody say seal pups?

PTMSC Marine Mammal Stranding Network

Summer Update

We received our first seal pup call of the season a few days ago, and several  more since. 
Around here, harbor seals usually have their pups between June and August, but sometimes procrastinate into October. Now that the season has officially kicked off, it's time for a few friendly reminders of what to do (and what not to do) when you see a seal pup.

When you see a sleeping seal pup on the beach (like the one pictured above) you might be tempted to cuddle with him, but you shouldn't. Nor should you pick him up, feed him, or sit nearby and count his shaky breaths. Here's why:

Seal pups need time to rest. A mother harbor seal will leave her pup on the beach to sleep and warm up. Meanwhile, mama seal is out foraging nearby, trying to fill up so she can give her pup the nutrients he needs. The young pup needs this time to sleep, and won't get it if we oooo and ahhh and pace back and forth. Similarly, the mother needs time to eat, but won't get it if she's worried that we're endangering her pup. Mother seals are very wary of people and won't come to get the pup until everybody clears the area (often, this is after dark). This is why we ask people to stay back 100 yards and require pups to be monitored for 24-48 hours before any action is taken. 

A pup's best chance of survival is with its mother.

You should never pick up or move a seal pup. The mother will be looking for him where she left him. The pup may move around a bit as the tide comes in or goes out, but they'll be able to reunite by calling to each other. Just like we can find our family member in a crowd by the sound of their voice, seals can do the same. In some cases, it is necessary to relocate a seal pup, but this is a careful decision made by our Principal Investigator in communication with the Regional Coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and carried out by trained responders.

Sometimes we see a seal pup that is very thin. Even then, you should not feed it. Young pups nurse on their mother's milk and cannot digest solid food. Older pups and yearlings are able to hunt for themselves. 

Are you curious why you shouldn't count a seal pup's breaths? The reason for this one has nothing to do with the seal's well-being and everything to do with your own. We often get panicked reports from people who are concerned a seal pup is dying because it's 'barely breathing' or 'taking shaky breaths'. It can be very stressful for the person watching. However, seals are conscious breathers (whereas we are voluntary). This means that they have to think about every breath they take, and it's not as often or smooth as we breathe. In a nutshell, this is perfectly normal seal behavior, and it's perfectly normal for it to freak us out until we know better. Conscious breathing makes sense, though, when you consider that these are marine mammals that spend a good chunk of their life underwater.   

If the reasons above aren't enough to leave the seal pup be, I should also mention that it's illegal to harass a marine mammal. Harassment includes touching, feeding, or disturbing the animal. 

So what CAN you do?

1. Tell other people why they shouldn't cuddle, move, or feed a seal pup, or count its shaky breaths.
2. Help keep people and dogs a safe distance away. Federal guidelines recommend 100 yards back to keep from disturbing the animal.
3. Leash your pup. Dogs are often much better at spotting seal pups than people, and sometimes harass the animal, or worse. The very saddest call I've responded to involved a seal pup who had been attacked by off-leash dogs. 
4. Call us, we're here to help! We rely on reports from concerned citizens. 

PTMSC Marine Mammal Stranding Network

(360) 385-5582 ext. 103

Put this number in your phone. Someday you may be very glad you did.

A Few Reminders

Call the stranding network if...

• A whale, dolphin, or porpoise is out of water. Please call us IMMEDIATELY.
• You find a marine mammal that is dead, injured, or in a bad place. Photos are extremely helpful.
• You find a marine mammal and aren't sure what to do.

Seals and sea lions commonly use shoreline habitat. This is natural behavior; please remember to 

Share the Shore!

Sincerely,

Your local seal savers

End of Year Report

PTMSC Marine Mammal Stranding Network

Winter Update

With the help of volunteers and community members we achieved some great things this past year! 

Here's a recap of what happened in 2013.

Unexpected visitors!
Three juvenile male elephant seals joined the lot of window shoppers, gallery goers, and tourists visiting Port Townsend's downtown beaches this past spring. Volunteer responders put in more than 400 hours "seal sitting" the elephant seals, educating thousands of curious passersby, and ensuring the safety of citizens and seals alike. 

Necropsy Program 
We completed 5 necropsies (animal autopsies) in 2013, all on harbor seal pups. We examined cause of death, tested for phthalates and toxics such as PCBs, DDTs, and flame retardants, collected parasite samples, looked for signs of human interaction, and sent tissue samples to a histopathology lab to look for disease.

                                              Beach surveys begin

Back in May, volunteers and staff began conducting monthly surveys of Cape George and Marrowstone Island beaches looking for stranded marine mammals. The aim of this experiment is to better understand the distribution of strandings and to see if our network is getting reports of strandings in these less-visited areas. So far one decomposed adult seal was found. 

Record number of harbor seals!

There were 47 harbor seals reported this year, compared to an average of 32 in previous years (2008-2012). Of those 47, 43 were pups. Thank you to all those who reported them to us! Seal pups need time to rest ashore; more than half our calls come from citizens observing a resting seal pup. While these pups are not stranded, they may need protection from people or dogs off leash. 

Volunteer Responder Training

We welcomed 9 new responders to our network this year, bringing our total to a solid 45 volunteers. These folks would tell you it isn't all fame and glory. In fact, it's more gory than glory, but the work they do responding to marine mammals and educating the public is crucial to marine mammal communities in the Salish Sea.

                                             Marine Mammal Disease Seminar

Marine mammal veterinarian Dr. Stephanie Norman shared her knowledge of diseases of concern in marine mammals, including several zoonotic varieties. We invited our friends from the Central Puget Sound MMSN to join. Bringing the two networks together was fun and insightful.  

Save the whale!
An entangled gray whale was sighted on September 4th near Cape Flattery. NOAA, US Coast Guard, Canada officials, and the Makah Tribe worked together to finally free the whale on September 7th, removing 8 wraps of line around its caudal peduncle and tail flukes. Our network volunteers transferred the disentanglement gear (curved knives on long                                                                 poles) from Friday Harbor to Neah Bay. This success                                                             story is brought to you by the word teamwork! 
  
Webpage overhaul
If you haven't checked it out already, click here to see our revamped webpage. Also make sure to visit the links at the bottom- I especially love the ID guide (click on the Steller Sea Lion to see it).

What's in store for us this year? 

Mostly it's a mystery. We can't predict when or where or what will strand, but we're always on the alert. Keep your eyes peeled and if you spot a marine mammal that is dead, injured, or in a bad spot, give us a call!

Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Marine Mammal Stranding Network

360-385-5582 ext. 103

Other, more predictable, projects for the upcoming year include:

1. Installation of 20 signs to raise awareness of marine mammals and our network.
2. A brand new rack card, complete with handy pocket-sized ID guide
3. More phthalate testing! We received grant money to collect several more blubber samples to be tested for those pesky plasticizers. Stay tuned for results (but don't hold your breath- it's a slow process).
4. A short video highlighting our necropsy program, to be added to the website.

Thanks for the support throughout the year!

Danae Presler
AmeriCorps member
Marine Mammal Stranding Network Educator