Harbor seal pups grace our lives by visiting inland Puget Sound waters in early summer and fall. However, along the coastlines of Washington and Oregon, they are born as early as April ( view map of pupping season ).

Harbor seals are mammals — females bear a single pup which they care for alone. Mating occurs under water. The gestation period is 9 months. Adult females typically give birth to one pup each year. At the Casa Beach rookery, the official pupping season begins each December 15 and ends 5 months later on May 15.

May 2, 2022 · During the pupping and nursing season, mother harbor seals will leave their pups on shore for extended periods of time while they hunt and forage. These pups are usually not abandoned, but just resting. Harbor seals are pinnipeds, part of the family of “true seals.”

Apr 22, 2024 · In the wild, harbor seal pups nurse with their mothers for about four weeks before they are weaned. The milk from a harbor seal mother is much richer and more nutritious than anything humans can provide, so it takes much longer for rescued pups to gain enough weight to sustain themselves.

Large, wet rings around the eyes is an indication of well hydrated seal pup. Harbor seals can detect prey by using nerves in their whiskers or vibrissae that sense a change in pressure or vibrations in the water. Harbor seals use their acute sense of smell to find a lost pup.

Harbor seals are the most common marine mammals in Puget Sound. It isn't unusual to come across a seal pup resting and warming up alone on shore along the outer coast and inland waters. Harbor seal mothers are very shy and will not return ashore for offspring if they feel it is not safe, so always observe from a distance.

Mar 11, 2025 · In this video, we see a mother harbor seal teaching her pup the ropes as they float in a protected tide pool. The mom rests on a shallow, partially submerged rock as her pup, floating nearby, swims up for a kiss.

Male harbor seals are believed to be monogamous. The female gives birth to pups once a year. The mating takes place underwater, thus negating the chance of studying that aspect. After a gestation period of around 9-10½ months, a single pup is …

Oct 16, 2020 · Harbor seals breed and give birth during the warmer months of the year, though the exact timing varies by a population’s exact location. A harbor seal pregnancy lasts approximately 10 months and they generally give birth to …

There are 3,000-5,000 harbor seal pups born in Washington inland waters each year, a very small portion of these pups are born prematurely and are known as lanugo pups. A lanugo pup is born with a long, fine, white fur that is normally shed in utero before being born.