The arrival of the pupping season’s first harbor seal patient,
nicknamed Theros, is a reminder to Leave Seals Be so they have a
second chance at life. Leave Seals Be is The Marine Mammal
Center’s public education campaign to remind people along the
California coast not to pick up or disturb harbor or elephant
seal pups they spot on the beach. Instead, the Center encourages
the public to keep their distance when they see what might be a
sick or abandoned seal pup, and to call its 24-hour response
line at (415) 289-7325 or 289-SEAL. The Center can then monitor
the pup to see if the mother returns and if needed, dispatch a
trained team to rescue the animal should no mother return.
“We’ve already begun rescuing and helping elephant seals and
harbor seals that have been found by members of the public,
abandoned on beaches along the coast,” said Shelbi Stoudt,
stranding manager at The Marine Mammal Center. “We depend upon
the public to be our eyes and ears so that we can rescue these
animals because in many cases t