Beneath the Water's Surface With Harbor Seals

The two Harbor Seal pups that were featured in the June 24 PAWS blog have been thriving in care here at PAWS.  As you may recall, both pups were thin, sickly orphans when they were found on the beach in Westport, WA.  Today the seals are plump and healthy, and they are making steady progress toward the day they will be ready to return to their wild home.

During their stay here at PAWS, the seals have been supplied with a steady supply of fish, but in the wild they will need to find food for themselves.  In order to prepare the pups for their coming independence, we have been periodically supplying them with live herring so they can practice their fish-catching skills. 

Last week, one of our wildlife interns brought in her waterproof camera gear which enabled us to get a rare look at our patients in their element.  The resulting photos and video have given us a new appreciation for the seals' underwater grace.

Many thanks to Niki Desautels for capturing the photos and video footage.