Early yesterday morning the hotline rang with a report of a sleeping seal pup on a public access beach between private properties. Seal Sitters taped off the path leading down to the beach and volunteers answered questions from passersby, who could see the pup from the street sidewalk above. That is, they could see the pup after our volunteer pointed him out. His (or her) pebbled coat blended in perfectly with the rocks and pebbles on the beach. This camouflage is very effective in fooling predators, but also can fool people who might be strolling the shore and accidentally scare him - or worse, injure him. Can you spot the pup in the above photo?

The pup was nicknamed Blue by the family who discovered him snoozing below their condo. Blue was a bit skinny, like most of the pups we are seeing, but rested until the high tide lapped over him and then swam out into Puget Sound. For a short time, he continued to rest in the water off shore, “bottling” with his little nose above the surface.

Blue is the 10th pup we have looked after since August and our busiest time for pups is still ahead of us. Usually in September and October Seal Sitters will have more than one pup at the same time in multiple locations around West Seattle. So, heads up! That “rock” or “log” on the beach may be a small seal pup. Like most young animals (and kids), when they are tired, they really zonk out and are very vulnerable.

Tags: Blue