Pupping season underway, stay away from seals

UPDATE 3/1/2017 6:15 p.m.:

Pupping season is underway on the Central Coast and marine life advocates want to remind people to keep their distance. Now is the time of year when elephant seal pups are weaning from their mothers and harbor seals are about to give birth.

Weeks away from when Hopkins Beach is expected to be the birthing place for countless mothers, people are already stopping by and checking them out.

“They are so beautiful,” Yoshiko Barthell of Saratoga said. “But this (the fence) is nice. They are protected and nobody will go and touch them so that’s wonderful.”

“Walking by so we always stop and see how many are out there,” said Roger Gardenhire of Fresno. “There’s always some out there. Quite a few actually.”

But that hasn’t always been the case. In 2014, 90 pups born in the Monterey Bay Harbor Seal Colony survived. Many attribute it to colder waters and a large food supply. That quickly changed with only nine surviving pups last year.

“There’s been a huge die-off because of food shortage and the warmer water but it’s stabilizing right now,” said Thom Akeman, a volunteer with Bay Net.

“I feel better seeing them in a healthier condition,” said Bay Net volunteer Kim Akeman. “The last two years, even though they were pregnant, they were very thin and didn’t look well and of course last season was by far, our worst. So they look much healthier, bigger, going into this season.”

That’s why marine life advocates want people to keep their distance, offering pups a better chance of survival. Advocates say when people start interfering with animals, moms scurry off.

“Pup can’t swim with mom all the time, so the pup could be left behind, it could drown trying to swim with mom, or it could be left behind to starve or if people pick it up, mom’s won’t come back to a human scent if their pup smells like a person, they’re terrified, they’re frightened,” Akeman said. “They see it as a threat so they leave.”

As we get closer to pupping season, Pacific Grove staff will install a temporary fence around the 5th Street rookery to give the animals more privacy.

The Marine Mammal Center, based in Sausalito but has a lab in Moss Landing, said it’s seeing fewer animal rescues so far this year.

However, KION was there as volunteers cared for three elephant seal pups who are half the size they should be right now. The three weight between 79-90 pounds but should be twice that. There’s no word why they’re underweight, weight they haven’t learned how to fish or they were separated from their mothers too soon. There had been several cases of pups being separated from their mothers during the stormy weather.

Despite the strange noises they might make or the fact they can lay around for days, it’s best to call the Marine Mammal Center for any concerns. They ask people not to intervene, wanting to keep the wild animals wild.

“We don’t want these animals to habituate to people, we want them to learn how to catch fish all on their own, so we want them to be wild,” said Julia O’Hern, the Monterey Bay Operations Manager of the Marine Mammal Center. “So if they do get accustomed to humans, they may come looking to us for food.”

Below are some tips from TMMC about ways to help stranded animals:

1. Don’t touch and do not pick up, pour water on or feed the animal!
They are wild animals and can bite. They also are easily stressed by humans.
2. Do not return the animal to the water
Seals and sea lions temporarily “haul-out” on land to rest. Harbor seal mothers often leave their pups ashore while they’re feeding at sea. A beached whale, dolphin, or porpoise should be reported immediately.
3. Observe
Observe the animal from a distance of at least 50 feet. Keep people and dogs away.
4. Describe
Note physical characteristics such as size, presence of external earflaps, and fur color. This helps the Center’s rescue team determine what rescue equipment and volunteers are needed.
5. Condition
Note the animal’s condition. Is it weak and underweight? Are there any open wounds?
6. Identification
Does the animal have any obvious identification tags or markings?
7. Location
Determine the exact location of the animal to provide accurate directions to the animal’s location.
8. Call The Marine Mammal Center at 415-289-7325 with as much information as you have! Response Hotlines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ORIGINAL POST:

Representatives say every year, they respond to a number of calls of pups that are somehow impacted my human interaction, whether someone is trying to help the pup or someone is trying to take a selfie with them.

Here are quick tips from TMMC to safely share the beaches:
· The best thing for people to do is to keep their distance! It’s ok to take photos and admire the animals, but remember to keep a safe distance of at least 50 feet.
· If an animal appears ill or injured, or you don’t see the mom nearby, please don’t try to intervene. Call the Center’s 24-hour rescue hotline at 415-289-SEAL (7325). The Center will monitor the animal for 24 hours or more, depending on the situation and, if necessary, trained volunteers and staff will rescue it safely.
· The distinctive “mah! mah!” cry of a harbor seal pup may sound like a call for help, but it’s never a good idea to interfere. The mother may be just off-shore foraging for food for her pup, and if a human or dog gets too close, she may abandon the pup altogether.
· Elephant seal pups should also be enjoyed from a safe distance. Like their harbor seal counterparts, they are quite photogenic on the beach and susceptible to encroachment.
· Keeping a safe distance goes for drones too! Flying a drone too close to a resting seal or sea lion could harass and negatively alter its behavior, a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Please remember to fly your drone responsibly and film wildlife at a safe distance.

KION’s Mariana Hicks spoke to volunteers with Bay Net about what they do to keep folks from getting to close.