Walking along Puget Sound beaches, you may see an earless harbor seal face rise from the water. Harbor seals are the most abundant marine mammal along Puget Sound. Although curious, they are shy animals and prefer quiet, unpopulated areas.

Hauling Out

Seals like to "haul out" on protected beaches, spits, bars, rocks and log rafts to bask in the sun and sleep. At the slightest sign of danger they will slip back into the water where they swim with power and grace. On land however, seals wiggle and flop along. (Harbor seals do not have rotating hind foreflippers for walking like sea lions.)

Harbor seals often haul out at low tide to digest food, rest, give birth, or nurse young. A high tide haul out is more typical along Hood Canal.

Giving birth or "pupping" occurs in June and July along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands. In southern Puget Sound and Hood Canal, pupping takes place July through September. The mother nurses the pup with rich milk for three to six weeks. The highest mortality rate for harbor seals occurs during the first few months of life; pups may be stillborn, premature, or they may starve.

Harbor seals need quiet places to rest and raise young.

Harbor Seal Facts

Protected by Law

Harbor seals sometimes fall prey to orcas (killer whales), sharks, and people. From 1947 to 1960 a bounty was placed on seals because it was believed they ate significant amounts of commercially valuable fish. During that time it is estimated 17,000 seals were killed. Today, seals are protected from killing by the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is against the law to hunt, capture, kill, harass or otherwise disturb seals or any other marine mammal.

A Harbor Seal on Your Beach...

Harbor seals may haul out almost anywhere along Puget Sound. One may appear on the beach near your home. Often, this is not an emergency -- harbor seals naturally use the beach to rest, give birth, or die.

Babies on the Beach If you see a harbor seal pup alone on the beach, do not disturb them ­ It's the law. Human encroachment can stress the pup and scare the mother and other adult seals away.

Image courtesy of Washington Sea Grant Program.

For your safety and the health of the pup, leave the pup alone. Do not touch! Do not wrap a pup in blankets (seals are protected by blubber and blankets will cause it to overheat.) Do not try to feed a pup. (Incorrect feeding can cause a pup to die.) Do not try to force a pup into the water. Keep pets and children away from a pup.

Related Links

National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA.
Research and information about marine mammals.

Marine Mammal Information, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. Whale watching guidelines.

Marine Mammal Protection Act, Legal Information Institute.
Text of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.