Many of our new volunteers as well as the public are probably wondering where the seal pups are and why we haven’t seen any yet in West Seattle. This is prime time for pups to be born in the rookeries, so a little bit early still for pups to hit our shores. Most seasons, pups have begun to arrive mid-August. This year, however, the south end of Puget Sound has already had many reports of pups on shore and too many cases of human interference. Many of the pups have been born prematurely like the lanugo pup shown here.

Since both pups and adult seals follow the food source it is hard to say when they might arrive. They could fool us and be a little early this year based on so much activity in the south end. So, keep your binoculars handy when you’re out walking the beaches. And don’t forget to give Seal Sitters’ dispatch a call if you spot a pup.

Tags: lanugo