Watch out for seal pups in the Blaine area

As the weather warms and water activities increase, the possibility of spotting seal pups increases. Although spotting the pup may be exciting to some, marine mammal experts warn beachgoers should leave the seal pups alone.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends people stay 100 yards from seal pups at all times. Not doing so can be considered a violation of federal laws prohibiting harassment.

Seal pups can’t go into water for long periods of time because they don’t have enough blubber to keep them warm. Mother seals will leave their young on the beach and return later in the morning. However, the mom will leave her pups if they are surrounded by people or dogs.

“If you go near it and mom is in the water, all she sees is these six-foot people surrounding a sealing,” said Victoria Souze, a volunteer at Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network (WMMSN). “She won’t come to the shore to retrieve that pup. She will just give up.”

WMMSN protects and cares for injured, sick, distressed or dead marine mammals in Whatcom County. The network has a partnership with the Whatcom Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which runs a triage center for the pups. If they are deemed releasable within 24 hours, the pups are relocated to a quiet beach; those in a worse state are taken to long-term care in Des Moines, Washington.

Souze said there are more calls to help seal pups near the Fourth of July.

“We’ll have one every week or two,” Souze said. “During Fourth of July, we can have four, five [in a week].”

Any beached marine mammal should be reported to the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 360/966-8845. Distressed marine mammals outside of Whatcom County can be reported to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 866/767-6114.

This article was updated on July 7 to correct a phone number for reporting distressed marine mammals outside of Whatcom County and to clarify where seal pups go after the triage center.