guardians of the sea: gray seal pupping cam

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gray seal pupping cam

During the shortest days of the year, hundreds of gray seals clamber onto Seal Island for an extraordinary mass breeding event. At this second largest of just four U.S. colonies, the seals come ashore for just a few weeks to give birth and feed their pups. The 300 pound females have one pup per year, with the peak of births in mid January. At birth, the compelling pups are dressed in a suit of thick, white fur (lanugo) which they begin molting at about three weeks of age.

Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 65 acre sanctuary managed in collaboration with the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program (Project Puffin), which operates a summer field station here. The program has successfully restored Maine’s largest colonies of Atlantic Puffins and Common and Arctic Terns. From May through August, the seabirds can be viewed on live cameras operated by explore.org.

For over 200 years Seal Island was also a summer campsite for fishermen harvesting herring, cod, lobster. Excessive seabird hunting for food and feathers led to the loss of the puffin colony here. From the 1940s to 1960s the Navy used the island as a bombing target. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the island in 1972. The island is closed to public landing because of the unexploded ordnance and unique wildlife. Today, seals face new threats including entanglement in fishing gear, chemical and plastic pollution and illegal hunting. They are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

  • topic: gray seals

  • location: seal island

SCHEDULE UPDATE
The baby seals have migrated for the season! Please enjoy this highlight reel until next winter.
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guardians of the sea: gray seal pupping cam

During the shortest days of the year, hundreds of gray seals clamber onto Seal Island for an extraordinary mass breeding event. At this second largest of just four U.S. colonies, the seals come ashore for just a few weeks to give birth and feed their pups. The 300 pound females have one pup per year, with the peak of births in mid January. At birth, the compelling pups are dressed in a suit of thick, white fur (lanugo) which they begin molting at about three weeks of age.

Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 65 acre sanctuary managed in collaboration with the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program (Project Puffin), which operates a summer field station here. The program has successfully restored Maine’s largest colonies of Atlantic Puffins and Common and Arctic Terns. From May through August, the seabirds can be viewed on live cameras operated by explore.org.

For over 200 years Seal Island was also a summer campsite for fishermen harvesting herring, cod, lobster. Excessive seabird hunting for food and feathers led to the loss of the puffin colony here. From the 1940s to 1960s the Navy used the island as a bombing target. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the island in 1972. The island is closed to public landing because of the unexploded ordnance and unique wildlife. Today, seals face new threats including entanglement in fishing gear, chemical and plastic pollution and illegal hunting. They are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

about

location: Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, Maine

best viewing hours: 7:00am - 5:00pm (Jan to mid-Feb)

time zone: Eastern Time

related links: Project Puffin and Adopt-A-Puffin
Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Riverhead Foundation

did you know?

range / Gray seals are only found in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the northwest Atlantic they are found from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the U.S. mid-Atlantic. Nantucket Sound is the southernmost part of their pupping range.

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philopatric / Most gray seals return to where they were born to have their own pups.

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pupping season / In the Northwest Atlantic, gray seals give birth Dec. - Feb., in the Baltic Sea, seals pup in March, while in the Northeast Atlantic they pup Sept. - Nov.

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sexual dimorphism / Male gray seals are substantially larger than females (~600 lbs vs. 300 lbs) and can be differentiated by their large “horse head.” Their fur is often darker than females.

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weaning / Gray seal pups are nursed for ~3 weeks. After, the mom leaves the pupping site. The pups then fast while they molt the remainder of their white fur.

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molt / Gray seals molt their fur every year. The molt occurs in March-April in the northwest Atlantic.

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pinniped / Gray seals belong to a group of animals called pinnipeds. Pinniped literally means “wing-foot.”

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life span / Although pup and juvenile mortality can be high (over 50% may die in first year), adult gray seals can live into their 30s.

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food habits / Gray seals are generalists and eat a variety of fish and squid.

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maturity / Males become sexually mature at about 6 yrs but may not reproduce until 10 yrs or older. Females give birth to their first pup ~ 4-6 yrs.

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birth rate / Once mature, female gray seals give birth to a single pup per year for the duration of their life.

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harbor vs. gray seal / Gray seals are larger; with horse-like faces while harbor seals have a dog-like appearance; front flippers of grays are further back on their body; gray seal fur is often mottled vs. the spotted pattern of harbor seals.

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delayed implantation / Once the egg is fertilized it becomes dormant for about 3-5 mo. before development starts again. This keeps gray seals in a synchronized pupping cycle.

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archeological records / Gray seal bones have been found in Native American shell middens throughout the northeast U.S. (Maine to New York) indicating their presence along the coast.

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seal bounties / Some bounties in Massachusetts and Maine lasted into the mid-20th century. A hunter presented a part of the seal (e.g. nose, tail, hide) and was paid $1-5/kill. The goal was to reduce competition with seals for valuable fish.

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movements / Information from marked (tagged or branded) animals and genetic studies has shown that individual gray seals move throughout the northwest Atlantic.

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pupping substrate / Gray seals give birth on a variety of substrates (e.g. ice, rocky islands, sandy beaches and caves).
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During the shortest days of the year, hundreds of gray seals clamber onto Seal Island for an extraordinary mass breeding event. At this second largest of just four U.S. colonies, the seals come ashore for just a few weeks to give birth and feed their pups. The 300 pound females have one pup per year, with the peak of births in mid January. At birth, the compelling pups are dressed in a suit of thick, white fur (lanugo) which they begin molting at about three weeks of age.

Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 65 acre sanctuary managed in collaboration with the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program (Project Puffin), which operates a summer field station here. The program has successfully restored Maine’s largest colonies of Atlantic Puffins and Common and Arctic Terns. From May through August, the seabirds can be viewed on live cameras operated by explore.org.

For over 200 years Seal Island was also a summer campsite for fishermen harvesting herring, cod, lobster. Excessive seabird hunting for food and feathers led to the loss of the puffin colony here. From the 1940s to 1960s the Navy used the island as a bombing target. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the island in 1972. The island is closed to public landing because of the unexploded ordnance and unique wildlife. Today, seals face new threats including entanglement in fishing gear, chemical and plastic pollution and illegal hunting. They are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

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