Wildlife notes: Harbor-seal birth on video; octopus decision Friday

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Two notes of interest to sea-life lovers:

HARBOR-SEAL BIRTH: If you haven’t already seen that video – which we first noticed on the website of our friends at KING 5 – it might be of interest: The surveillance system at Elliott Bay Marina, across the bay in Magnolia, recorded a harbor seal giving birth to a pup this past Monday. (In case you wonder before hitting “play,” the video is taken from a distance and does not seem graphic or intrusive, at least to us, and we’re fairly sensitive/squeamish.) KING quotes the harbormaster as saying the mom and pup headed into the water about three hours later. Harbor seals, of course, are the primary species with which West Seattle-based Seal Sitters deal; one more reminder that they have a beach cleanup coming up 9 am-noon this Saturday – this post on their Blubberblog explains how to RSVP and participate.

OCTOPUS-PROTECTION DECISION: This Friday in Olympia, the state Wildlife Commission is scheduled to make its decision about whether/how the Great Pacific Octopus should be protected. Here’s the 44-page presentation that commissioners will review – proposing options from no protection to a complete moratorium on any octopus fishing in Puget Sound. This traces back to last November’s controversy over an octopus caught in West Seattle waters. The young diver who caught it subsequently advocated in Olympia for protecting the species. The decision is scheduled to be made at 1 pm; the meeting will be live on TVW.

Heather July 31, 2013 (11:50 am)

Wow! Just wow! And I hope protections are passed for the fabulous octopi here.

Cowpie July 31, 2013 (1:00 pm)

Love it!… It appears they kept people away.

furryfaces July 31, 2013 (1:18 pm)

How wonderful that Elliott Bay Marina closed off the dock for these two!!!

MercyMoi July 31, 2013 (1:26 pm)

That was amazing to watch! Thank you for posting. I couldn’t tell on my phone screen though, was the baby’s head getting smacked on the cement as the mom hopped around?

DSC July 31, 2013 (1:28 pm)

Amazing!!!

higgins July 31, 2013 (1:34 pm)

Aww

The Velvet Bulldog July 31, 2013 (2:28 pm)

Had to admit, I was shaking my head and laughing a bit at first thinking, “that poor seal-baby’s head is getting quite a welcome-to-the-world!”

You could see mama’s heavy breathing even at distance. That was very cool-thanks for sharing.

You GO seal-baby and seal baby-mama!!

dcn July 31, 2013 (4:20 pm)

I had the same thought about the poor baby’s head. Cement–not a very comfortable place to give birth for either Mom or baby. And the baby was so big–looks like it took up a lot of space in the Mom.