Seal Sitters volunteers were kept busy today watching over two seal pups at Lincoln Park. Storm was still on the beach early this morning and a second pup hauled out mid-afternoon. Storm looked even more thin today, was less alert and had some discharge around the eyes. Seal Sitters received authority this afternoon to take the pup to PAWS for evaluation. We will keep you posted with updates regarding Storm.

The second pup flop-hopped high up onto the beach by Colman Pool, undaunted by quite a number of fishermen onshore. He appears to be weaned. While he looks stronger than Storm, the very alert pup is still thin and had some blood around the umbilicus. It is always a concern when the umbilicus area does not close up and heal because it can be a source of dangerous infection. This pup was nicknamed Swimmy (shown at left). Swimmy has very distinct and beautiful markings which will make him easy to identify should he choose other West Seattle locations to rest.

Both pups presented quite a challenge for volunteers since each pup was very close to the sea wall and walkway. It is important to keep observers at a respectable distance so that the pups can rest. Standing above a pup as close as ten feet away causes undue stress for the animal. Additionally, if by chance there is a mom around, too many people hovering around a pup can cause the pup to be abandoned. Thanks to the many volunteers who spent their holiday looking after the pups and those who did public outreach on Alki.

See related media stories about Storm:
KOMO-tv , Rescuers aiding malnourished seal.

Seal Sitters thanks the West Seattle blog for their on-going support of our work on the beach. Read the WS Blog story about Storm, Seal Sitters guarding pup at Lincoln Park.

Tags: storm, swimmy