Harbor Seal - wish I had my camera

Monday I was walking along the shore of Elliot Bay in West Seattle. Passing the boat launch, one lane was closed off and several women were gathered. As I stopped to see what was going on in the next lane, which was not blocked, a harbor seal pup was hauling himself up. They can't do anything like walk; they just drag their body with a rocking motion.

If I had my camera I was at the right place and time to get a video of him leaving the water! Pretty cute - hauling himself along.

The seal pup in the blocked off lane was asleep and was as exciting as a log.

Google Maps

Washington Department of Ecology: Puget Sound Shorelines: Species - Harbor Seal:

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.