Community Corner
Seal Pup Lands By Ferry Dock
Edmonds Seal Sitters are on hand to keep people away until its mother returns. The seal was just born.
A newborn harbor seal pup is temporarily calling Edmonds beaches its home.
According to Keri DeVilbiss, a beach ranger with the City of Edmonds' Discovery Programs, the pup was born in the last few days and was spotted Sunday at Brackett's Landing North.
Today, the pup had moved to Brackett's Landing South.
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DeVilbiss says the pup had its umbilical cord attached yesterday, but it's gone now.
Today, the area surrounding the seal was roped off by yellow tape by the Edmonds Seal Sitters, a volunteer group established in 2008 to tend to marine mammals on Edmonds beaches.
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Three volunteers—JoAnn Foster and Sarah Boyd of Edmonds and Ted Wilkins of Lynnwood—were on hand to watch the seal and answer questions from beach-goers.
Foster said that the seal appears to be in good health. Tracks nearby indicated the pup's mother had been nearby and had fed it. Foster said she expects the mother to return for her newborn soon.
“It is absolutely normal behavior for seals to come ashore every day to rest and warm up,” . “Young seal pups will stay with their mothers for four to six weeks nursing with very rich mother's milk, but then the pups are weaned and must fend for themselves. The young seals need their time ashore to rest, and if they are bothered by humans—and dogs—it can be harmful to them. The younger animals will often rest on a public beach because they haven't learned to be wary of humans yet. We seldom get adult seals resting on the Edmonds waterfront.”
In April, Sandy the seal pup, who gained a measure of fame after when rescued in West Seattle, off the Edmonds Fishing Pier
Earlier this year, were installed in various locations along the Edmonds waterfront.
Those who find a seal pup on the Edmonds waterfront should call the Seal Sitters hot line at 425-326-3336.
To learn more about the Edmonds Seal Sitters, including opportunities for volunteering, you can visit the group’s Web site. The Seal Sitters receives support from federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as the City of Edmonds police, animal control and parks maintenance departments.