Seal Sitters is thrilled to report that harbor seal pup Little Dipper, rescued by authorized First Responders from a Lincoln Park beach in late June, has been released back home to Puget Sound. The newborn, full-term harbor seal pup had been abandoned by his mom - most likely due to human activity and the presence of 4 off-leash dogs on the beach in the park.

Little Dipper’s stint of rehabilitation at PAWS Wildlife Center (intake exam photo at left) was a bit longer than a typical two-month duration because he was slow to pack on weight. A newborn seal pup in rehab must be taught to eat whole fish since they are not able to learn from other seals in the wild. When finally released on October 9th, he weighed over 30 kgs (66+ lbs) - a true blubberball! The pup weighed only about 18 lbs when taken in for stabilization and treatment.

Little Dipper, now sporting a brightly-colored rehab tag on his rear flipper, still faces big challenges in the wild. The 50% chance odds of survival his first year are not statistically reduced. However, thanks to a daily high-caloric intake, he has a thick layer of blubber fat to keep him warm in the cold waters and to provide energy to sustain him while learning to hunt on his own.

Little Dipper was released, along with another rehabilitated seal pup, near a harbor seal haulout. The photo at right shows Little Dipper emerging from his kennel on the boat transom, seconds before plunging into the water and swimming off. We so hope that these two young pups navigate the waters successfully and thrive together in the vast expanse of Puget Sound - and find safety when resting onshore.

Seal Sitters MMSN extends heartfelt thanks to the dedicated staff at PAWS for giving Little Dipper a second chance at life and generously providing photos to share with volunteers and the public.

If you see a seal pup (or any marine mammal) with a tag and are able to get the number thru binoculars or with a telephoto lens at a distance, please forward the location information and photos to Seal Sitters.

Tags: Little Dipper, rehabilitation, release