Harbor seals springing back from low survival rate

A group of harbor seals at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove are a major tourist attraction.

“I love photographing them and keeping the images,” said Luanne Hallett of Huntington Beach.

“This year they’re just all over the place and they’re so cute,” said Sandy Morrison of Pacific Grove.

But last year there weren’t many of them to coo over.

“You didn’t see any babies,” said Paul Morrison of Pacific Grove. “There were a couple of times when we came by and the babies died out here.”

Bay Net volunteer Thom Akeman said only nine pups survived and a third of the adult population disappeared. Starvation, warm temperatures and food shortages were to blame.

“This is a cold ecosystem,” said Akeman. “So the food supply here, when the water gets to warm, either goes further north to colder water or out to a deeper ocean to colder water, but it leaves this area.”

But this year’s weather is bringing cooler temperatures, which is producing a lot more food on the ocean floor and more pups are surviving. Nearly 50 of them are on the beach right now.

“You don’t have to be a statistician to see that these guys have really increased their numbers this summer,” said Paul Morrison.

Brudett and Luanne Hallet came from Huntington Beach to see the seals amongst other things.

“This is our first visit,” said Luanne. “Really amazing, just super.”

As cute as they are marine experts are asking people not to disturb them.

Last year the Marine Mammal Center said they rescued 137 pups. The majority of them were abandoned by their mom, who was likely scared off by humans.

“People want to go pet them, they want to go take close ups, take selfies with them and all that sort of stuff,” said Akeman. “When that happens you’re killing the pups because you’ll scare the moms away. The pups aren’t going to be nursed they’re going to die.”

Pupping season is expected to wrap up in the next few weeks when the last pup is weaned.