As pups turn up onshore, Seal Sitters remind you: Stay back

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Friday was a busy day for Seal Sitters on West Seattle shores, as first responder Robin Lindsey writes on their Blubberblog website. The final pup report of the day gives rise to a reminder – if you see a pup on the beach, stay as far away as you can, and keep others away too, until Seal Sitters can get a volunteer there to keep watch. We received a Twitter report of the Lincoln Park sighting, photo included, along with a question about who to call; we replied with the Seal Sitters’ number (we suggest adding it to your contact list – 206-905-SEAL [905-7325]) and advice to keep everybody back. Robin writes that the pup was apparently scared back into the water, which can be deadly – they are usually left on the beach by their moms, who go off to find food and return for their nursing pups, and if the pup is scared into the water, mom might not find it. Read more about how to handle marine-mammal sightings at sealsitters.org.

stayaway! September 3, 2011 (9:09 am)

This picture is just so annoying. What the hell people?! Poor little guy. It’s such a delicate balance of nature. Can’t we preserve just one natural thing? It’s an absolute miracle these little pups even come aground. I am thankful for seal sitters.

Norma September 3, 2011 (10:53 am)

Thank you seal sitters. People should get informed about what to do or not do in a situation like this. The tools are there but alas that would be asking too much.

Robin September 3, 2011 (11:25 am)

We’d like folks to please call our hotline (206-905-7325) regarding ALL marine mammals on shore. Not only do we need to come out and do health assessments, but in our expanded role as part of NOAA’s NW Marine Mammal Stranding Network, we want to contribute to a better understanding of how seals are using the shores of Puget Sound – including frequency, geographic distribution, etc. This information reveals the health of our marine environment as a whole in addition to the health of our marine mammal populations.

Thanks to all of you from Seal Sitters! We so appreciate the support of the WS Blog and community.

(required) September 4, 2011 (10:13 pm)

Just curious — how’s the seal population in Puget Sound? Surely there’s more people than seals….so have we had an adverse impact on their populations here?

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