Many Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) Hauling Out

Chris Price writes:

There's been a noticeable increase of seals hauling out along our beaches and boat slips this year.

• Update on the Ringed Seal situation. More ringed seals are being seen in the Dutch Harbor/Unalaska area, one recently died and another barely alive ringed seal was sent to the Alaska SeaLife Center. Please continue to keep alert of weak or sick-looking seals in our region, and report these to NOAA at 1-877-925-7773. Source: Bruce Wright, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. April 6, 2018.

Moses Tcheripanoff writes:

One good source for information about seals is the Alaska Stranding Summaries. The number of seal strandings reported in the Alaska Region for 2017 showed some 36 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) 5 of which were in the Bering Sea; compared to an average of 23.2 reported for 2000-16. There were no reported strandings of harbor seals in the Arctic region. Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) numbered 8 standings in the Arctic and 3 for the Bering Sea region with a sixteen year average of 12 confirmed reports. All together there were 7 species of pinniped monitored and confirmed in a 2017 Alaska Region Mammal Strandings report.

Note: The Marine Mammal Protection Act defines a stranded marine mammal to mean any marine mammal that has died (beached or floating), or that is alive but is either beached or in an area where it is not usually found. Hauling-out is a behavior associated with pinnipeds (true seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses) temporarily leaving the water. Hauling-out typically occurs between periods of foraging activity.

Melissa Good, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory writes:

NOAA Fisheries is tracking the presence of ringed seals along the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula and I am looking for your help.

Ringed seals are an ice associated seal normally found further north than the Aleutian Islands. This is the time of year that these seals want to haul out to molt, mate, build dens, and rest. With the lack of sea ice this winter, these guys are finding other places to haul out, including docks and beaches in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and Akutan.

Being on the land or docks does not mean that something is wrong with them. Because they are rare for this area, we (NOAA Fisheries/Marine Mammal Stranding Network) are asking for reports when people notice ringed seals in any of the communities throughout the Aleutians. You can contact myself locally at 581-1876 or melissa.good@alaska.edu or the Network 1-877-925-7773.

Ringed seals and harbor seals look very similar. See the attached flyer for some pictures and the description below may help:

• Ringed seals are usually plumper around the middle
• Ringed seals have a smaller, rounder head and a short, thick neck
• Ringed seal muzzles are shorter and thicker. Their eyes are close-set and forward facing so they look a little like cats (whereas harbor seals look more like dogs)
• Ringed seal coats have spots that are surrounded by rings of lighter color
• Photos are greatly appreciated, but keep far enough away to not cause any changes in behavior and never feed wild animals!

Photos are also greatly appreciated, but keep far enough away to not cause changes in behavior and never feed wild animals! Please be aware that it's a federal crime to harass, disturb or molest these seals. If you want to look at them or take pictures, a good rule of thumb is to stay far enough away that your behavior isn't changing their behavior. Thank you for being the eyes and ears of Unalaska! Melissa Good. March 30, 2018

Resources:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game – Dead or distressed marine mammals: What Can I Do?, Reporting a Dead Marine Mammal

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Marine Mammal Stranding Contacts

• Barrow — (907) 852-3464
• Fairbanks — (907) 459-7214
• Hanes — (907) 766-2607
• Juneau — (907) 465-6167
• Nome — 1 (800) 560-2271 or (907) 443-8191

Alaska Fisheries Science Center – We study Alaska’s marine life to ensure the sustainable use of living marine resources in federal waters. We monitor fish and marine mammal populations that have supported Alaska Native communities for centuries and provided food, income, and recreational enjoyment for millions of people around the world.

Video:

State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report, CAFF
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna | Published on May 11, 2017

The State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR) is a synthesis of the state of knowledge about biodiversity in Arctic marine ecosystems, detectable changes, and important gaps in our ability to assess state and trends in biodiversity across six focal ecosystem components (FECs): marine mammals, seabirds, fishes, benthos, plankton, sea ice biota. The SAMBR is a product of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) of the Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group. For more information: www.arcticbiodiversity.si/marine