Seal photos and video
footage were taken by Dyanna Lambourn, WDFW biologist
Click
the photos to view a larger image.
What
is a Seal Haul-out?
A
sandy beach harbor seal haul-out with tide coming in.
Mothers
with pups tend to haul-out at the fringes of larger groups
or will haul-out in special mother-pup groups.
A
male harbor seal in the center of a local haul-out.
A
female harbor seal and pup basking on small grassy beach
near a main seal haul-out.
Mother
and Pup Interactions
A
pup nursing from it's mother.
A
blind female is seen here with her newborn pup. Biologists
notice that she maintains greater contact with her pup.
Blind seal mothers have successfully raised pups despite
their loss of sight.
Older
pup making contact with mother seal. Notice the lack of
external ear flaps which is a identification character
of the harbor seal.
Tense
moment on the beach where mothering hormones drive a pregnant
female (seal on the left) to attempt to steal a pup from
another female. Biologists say this situation was resolved
peacefully.
Sharing
the Seal Haul-out
The
killdeer is a common shore bird of the gravel and sandy
beaches and this downy chick is mobile soon after hatching
Gulls,
crows, eagles and other scavengers, along with opportunistic
predators frequent haul-outs during the pupping season
to feed on birthing remains, dead, injured or unattended
newborn pups.
Common
loons may frequent protected waters in fall or winter
to feed.
A
Bonaparte's Gull and Common Tern were captured on film
at this haul-out area.
Coyotes
prowl the seal-haul outs feeding on nearby berries and
will prey on sickly seals or unattended pups.
Raccoons
are a common resident near haul-out areas with extensive
beaches and nearby woodlands.
Near
sandy haul-outs beaches may be covered by sand dollars
a small flat relative of the sea urchin.
Female
with radio tag that is attached with bio-adhesive and
allows for movements to be tracked.
The
great blue heron frequents haul-outs and beaches at low
tide in search of exposed small crabs, fish and shellfish.
