Early Summer Update, 2011

Well it has been a very busy summer so far.   A dead seal showed up at Cherry Point on June 15. All that remained was the skeleton, so cause of death was unknown. Marcia responded to that one. On July 30^th, Michelle responded to a pup on Pt. Roberts that hung around for about 3 days and then was never seen from again. At the same time, a pup at the Point Roberts Marina was being watched by locals. It had a bad eye, but nobody could get near it. On July 2^nd, a pup was reported on Samish Island and Julie, Marianne and Leslie pup sitted until dusk with Cailan and Scot on call. Luckily that pup reunited with his mom the next day. Then on July 3^rd, Marcia responded to a call that a pup was found dead near Red River. A necropsy will be performed later. On July 5^th a pup at the Birch Bay Village was checked on by Starra and the next day, on July 6^th, Starra also checked out a pup at Semihamoo Marina. Also on the 6^th, a Larrabee State park pup was watched by Staci. All three of these pups left the next day, presumably with their moms.

On July 9^th, 3 calls came in. One was a dead female seal at the Semiahmoo Marina. Starra responded to that one and Dan, Scot, and Leland went out the next day to remove the carcass for later necropsy. No external signs that she had just given birth or was lactating were noticed. Two other pups were found in the same general location that day also. Starra, Tim and Katharine took turns pup sitting. Those 2 were gone the next day. Another pup on that same day was reported at Sandy Point. Over the next 4 days, that pup was watched by Heather and Marianne and then it was noticed that an “eye screw” was lodged in its mouth, explaining its loss of weight, so we pulled it and took it to the NW Wildlife Rehab Center for stabilization before his plane to the Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehab Center at Friday Harbor where it will be well cared for until it is ready to be released in the fall. Decatur is doing well so far.

Between July 10^th and July 13^th, we have had anywhere from 1-3 pups at a time, distinctly different pups each day, lounging around at the same place at the Semiahmoo Marina and faithfully watched by Starra and Katharine. Last word was they all were joined with their moms. That seems to be a popular hangout among that breeding colony’s pups.

Winter/Spring, 2011

Well it has been a quiet winter and spring, so far.  Yeah!  The stormy year started out with a harbor porpoise having washed up at Point Whitehorn on Feb. 28, but the person reporting the stranding was able to get the only photo before it washed back out again in a storm was never seen from again.  The adult porpoise had definitely been preyed upon but it was unclear what the actual cause of death was.  A dead female washed up in Birch Bay on May 16 and was used the following day for a group training on level A collection and then was collected, and later examined, for a necropsy training held on May 28th.  This female had hemorrhaging around her uterus and her uterine horns were swollen.  Labs results will hopefully reveal the cause of death, as currently it is unknown. She was in otherwise healthy condition.

On June 4 our first pup, a late lanugo pup, was reported at Semiahmoo, our first of the year, and very early to boot!.  After 3 days of pup sitting by MANY of our volunteers (Katharine, Starra, Starr, Marianne, Chris, Carol, Debbie, Robyn, Kellie, Dan, Jane, Heather, Brianne) the pup was reunited with his mom and swam away.  Yeah!