It’s the season for seal pups, and they might show up in weird places | 24CA News
With a milder winter than traditional, seals might begin displaying up in sudden areas inland, biologists warn.
From now till spring, it is pupping season for 4 species of seals in New Brunswick: gray, harp, harbour and hooded.
And as a result of the marine mammals should come ashore to have their pups, they do sometimes present up a bit farther away from the ocean than traditional.
“They do tend to wander a bit,” Tonya Wimmer, the manager director of the Marine Animal Rescue Society, also called MARS, mentioned Wednesday.
“We will get animals sometimes even quite a way inland, where they’ve gone up rivers and end up on someone’s front lawn, for example, to rest or to give birth.”
Seal pups aren’t born capable of swim. Depending on the species they should develop on ice or land some time earlier than they’re capable of survive within the ocean.
That can fluctuate relying on the species. Hooded seal pups want about 4 days of nursing out of the water earlier than they will swim alongside their moms. Harbour seals want a few weeks, in response to Wimmer.
And in winters when there may be much less ice within the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, seals want to return ashore.
“If the ice isn’t there, we do see those animals having these pups on the beaches and shores,” mentioned Wimmer. “In those years where the ice isn’t really particularly great, especially in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, we will see those animals throughout our beaches.”
It’s necessary to not disturb seals throughout pupping season, in response to Wimmer, even for those who suspect an animal is misplaced or deserted.
Some species of seal will go away their offspring throughout low tide whereas they forage for meals, so pups aren’t deserted. They’re awaiting their mom’s return.
And attempting to herd seals into the ocean when they could not have the ability to swim but is not simply merciless, it is unlawful.
“Under the Fisheries Act, you can’t harm, harass or disturb marine mammals,” mentioned Wimmer.
More seals this season
Pupping season tends to carry much more seals into areas populated by folks, Saint John researchers say.
“In the summertime we see no seal at the Irving Nature Park and then this time of year, I just got word today there was 50,” mentioned Shauna Sands, the conservation co-ordinator with the Atlantic Coastal Action Program in Saint John.
“In February we usually she about 100 there.”
Sands has been finding out the seal inhabitants within the Saint John space since 2018. She mentioned folks usually see just one single seal at a time, or perhaps a handful, so the could also be stunned to know there are a whole lot.
“The highest numbers that we’re seeing in the spring are about 200 to about 250 across all of our sites at one time,” she mentioned. This coincides with the peak of harbour seal pupping.
“They have their pups right on the rocks at low tide,” mentioned Sands. “They leave them there until the tide rises again. And they wean off their mom within, I think it’s like four to six weeks after being born. So it’s pretty quick.”
If you do come throughout a seal that appears to be in misery Wimmer’s recommendation is to asses it by commentary.
“If you’re getting near somewhat or walking by and the animal doesn’t really even look at you, doesn’t pay attention or react at all, if they’re really thin and you can see the neck or some of their ribs or things like that, that may be bad signs,” mentioned Wimmer.
Anyone involved a couple of seal’s well being, and even simply curious if a seal seems to be somewhat misplaced, ought to contact MARS at 1-866-567-6277.
