Five Good Reasons to Leave Young Seals Alone

Though adorable indeed, young harp seals need space to survive this critical period of their lives. © Janvier Quentin

Over the past week, the presence of harp seal pups on the beaches of the Magdalen Islands and the Gaspé Peninsula has been all over social media in the region. Upon seeing these cuddly little furballs, some people have approached them, even petting or physically moving them. Unfortunately, handling seal pups this way can negatively impact their ability to survive.

In light of these events, Whales Online and QMMERN felt it might be a good idea to explain why it is so important to leave these whitecoats alone. In a nutshell: These are wild animals that need space to carry out the activities essential to their survival!

1. Give seals a chance to rest

Imagine you’ve been swimming for hours without setting foot on dry land. You’d probably want to lie down on the beach to regain your strength and get some shut-eye. Now imagine the same scenario, only this time you’re about to give birth… Quick, you need to find a safe and quiet place!

Although their ancestors were terrestrial mammals, today’s pinnipeds now split their time between land and sea. Moving around on the ice or on shore, harp seals seek out places where they won’t be disturbed while carrying out essential activities such as resting, pupping or moulting. They generally settle down in quiet areas near the water so they can quickly seek safety in the event of a threat.

Joanie Van de Walle, a biologist and seal expert at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute, explained in an interview with Radio-Canada that diminishing sea ice has been forcing seals closer to shore in recent years.

Once females have given birth, they move back and forth between the water to hunt and the land to rest and nurse their young. Pups, on the other hand, remain on shore for about twelve days until they are independent and able to swim and feed on their own.

When you spot a seal or a pup out of the water, it’s completely normal! Did you know that the harp seal’s scientific name, Pagophilus groenlandicus, translates as “ice-lover of Greenland”?

Disturbance can cause significant stress to seal pups and reduce their chances of survival. © Gérald Brousseau

2. Limit stress to seals

Barking dogs, engine and off-road vehicle noise, screaming children, and recurrent crowds of onlookers can stress seals. That’s right! As is the case for humans, constant, overstimulating disturbances can cause stress and loss of energy. It’s a bit like trying to fall asleep, but the fire alarm goes off, several people are huddled around your bed staring at you, and an unfamiliar noise sounds at unpredictable intervals: In addition to being disturbed by these stimuli, you probably won’t be able to fall asleep!

If a seal pup is busy trying to process the noises and disturbances around it, it will have less time to perform essential activities such as rest. And if it is more fatigued and less alert, the risk of predation and vulnerability to disease increases, lowering the animal’s chances of survival.

To avoid a fatal ending for these delightful little critters, here are a few tips to help you know whether you’re disturbing them:

The seal, which had been resting, returns to the water.
The seal makes noises and grunts.
The seal raises its head, watches you, and follows your movements.

There’s an old trick to determine whether or not you’re standing too close to a seal: Cover your eye with one hand and, stretching out your other hand, cover the animal with your thumb. If the animal is completely hidden, you’re far enough away, but if you can still see it behind your thumb, take a few steps back, as you are too close. © Pierre Olivier Roy

3. Allow the pup to be nursed by its mother

With their big eyes, silky coat and endearing expressions, seals make us want to pick them up and cuddle them (in French). Not so fast! If a human touches a baby seal or lingers too long by its side, the mother, who is usually not far away, might decide to abandon it. Why?

First of all, know that if a seal pup is alone on shore, you don’t necessarily need to worry. Most often, its mother has simply gone to feed a little farther off and will return to care for her young as soon as she comes out of the water. The stress caused by our presence near her pup, however, is enough to keep the mother away: She’s just waiting for us to leave to return and nurse her offspring. If this disturbance drags on or is repeated by other observers, it is possible that she simply won’t return.

Thanks to the high-fat milk provided by its mother, the pup can gain 2 to 2.5 kg a day! Abandonment by the mother therefore significantly compromises the young seal’s chances of survival.

The recurrent presence of humans near a baby seal can discourage the mother from returning to her pup, who needs her to make it through its first few days.

Since nursing only lasts about twelve days, it is essential that the mother is not separated from her young during this critical period. Therefore, we must keep our distance from seal pups!c

4. Improve their odds of survival in an already difficult environment

After spending the summer in the Canadian Arctic or Greenland, harp seals migrate south. Far from heading to the tropics to bask in the sun, they head to the Gulf of St. Lawrence for their breeding season, which begins in late February.

To give birth, females seek out sea ice. But what can they do when it is scarce or even absent altogether? Dwindling ice cover reduces the availability of whelping sites. It is important to remember that sea ice plays a crucial role in the harp seal’s life cycle. It provides a safe platform for pupping, nursing, and moulting.

Alternatives are few, and not all of them are ideal for survival: settling on thinner and hence more fragile ice, seeking a favourable environment farther north, even if it means risking polar bears, or taking refuge on shore. In an interview with , Peter Galbraith, a physical oceanography researcher at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, reports that winters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are warming at a rate of more than 2°C every 100 years, i.e. twice as fast as summers. Scientists estimate the total harp seal population at 4.4 million animals, the lowest figure in over 30 years (in French). The population decline is due to many factors, including the lack of ice, other environmental changes, and, to a lesser extent, hunting.

Regardless of their age, harp seals face challenges created by diminishing levels of winter ice cover. © GREMM

The harp seal embodies the challenges brought on by climate change. Its presence on the shores is a last resort to survive in a constantly changing environment. On an individual level, we often feel like we don’t know what to do to help these animals during these difficult times. However, there is one very simple thing we can do: leave them alone.

5. Lower the risk of contracting a disease or sustaining an injury

Despite their endearing faces, seals are unpredictable wild animals. If they feel threatened, they may become aggressive and bite in order to defend themselves. Since human presence is a significant stress factor for seals, pets that approach them also risk being injured. Furthermore, seals carry certain diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

One more reason to keep your distance!

Reminder

If you observe a seal with visible injuries, if it is in an awkward place for human activities or if you see other people disturbing or handling it, promptly contact the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network at 1-877-722-5346.

Maintain a minimum distance of 50 metres from the seal. The best course of action will be determined by experts.