Harbor Seal Pups are Starting to Pop

Monday April 14, 2014 Jenner CA.

I was in the water about 11AM this morning. As I was crossing the river, Steve showed up with his boat so I waited for him to put in and we headed on up the river at a leisurely pace.

Just as I was leaving the launch ramp I noticed something going on, on the shore by the ramp. Some swallows were getting some mud to build their nests, which they were doing under the visitor center eves.

It was a bit foggy today, with just a bit of a breeze, maybe even a light wind. This is our view as we headed on up just past the east end of Penny Island. We were hoping the sun would pop out soon.

We took our time and worked our way up to this spot just below the highway one bridge. The wood in the water is scrap lumber from a real old saw mill, I think. There is a huge pile of them at this point in the river.

We sat there for quite awhile then headed on back down the river, along the south edge.

Our view as we headed back towards the town of Jenner. Still a bit foggy, but it was starting to clear.

Steve wanted to stop on Penny Island so we landed on the east end and went ashore here.

After resting on the island for a bit we continued on down the back channel of the island heading down towards the river’s mouth.

The river’s mouth is starting to close up

The river’s mouth was just barely open with lots of harbor seals and seagulls in the area.

A look out the river’s mouth into the Pacific ocean.

Some cormorants were resting on a rock.

Harbor seal pupping time

This is the time of year the harbor seals have their pups. This harbor seal was laying on the sandy beach with it’s new pup.

I was told by a biologist that the harbor seals have a pup, keep it for about thirty days and wean it. Short time. The pups are on their own after that.

I watched as one was born last year. I saw a seal on the beach, but wasn’t paying attention until I saw three turkey vultures land right by it. Then I noticed a little seal there. It took about a half hour for the momma to pass it’s afterbirth, which the vultures were waiting for. Just as soon as it passed that, it took the newly born seal to the waters edge, where it waited for about five minutes for the new born to get used to the water, then they swam away.