Fur Seals Return to California Islands After 150 Years, From 150,000 Pups to None
Photo Credit (Pixeles)
Record numbers of fur seal pups have been born from a historic breeding colony, and they can be seen splashing and tumbling around in the waters near the Farallon Islands.
The most recent population count offers a sight that hasn’t been seen in 150 years, when 150,000 elephants and fur seals called these islands off San Francisco home. It also serves as welcome proof of the long-term advantages of protecting marine mammals.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the market for seal pelts and fat was booming, the Farallon Islands saw overhunting of the seal rookery. They were prohibited from hunting in 1915 by a conservation treaty signed by the United States, Canada, and Russia. In 1972, a second piece of legislation was approved that designated the Farallon Islands as a wilderness.
These actions eventually made it possible for nearby seals to rebuild their lost colony, which has since expanded to thousands.
In a recent population study, Point Blue Conservation Science counted 2,133 fur seals, including 1,276 pups—the most ever recorded.
In an email to SFGATE, Gerry McChesney, manager of the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, said, “I was astounded to see them all piled in there, getting tossed around like they were in a washing machine.” “They appeared to be enjoying themselves and were quite happy.”
In the choppy seas of coves, inlets, and rocky shallows, where the great white shark, the region’s top predator, cannot reach them, the pups can be seen bouncing up and down. They stay in a large float while they wait for their mothers to come back from the sea so they can nurse continuously for several days and increase their milk supply.
When the moms return, they will use a distinctive call that is specific to them and can be heard over the noise of other puppies barking and waving.
After nine years of labor, the Chumash Tribe has finally sealed the protection of the California Marine Reserve, which is larger than Yosemite.
“This was a minimal count, and there were certainly many more,” McChesney continued, adding that it is challenging to conduct a thorough estimation of the number of seal pups due to the topography and several protected coves.
“Watching it was a lot of fun,” McChesney remarked. “And the sight meant so much more knowing that it symbolizes such a remarkable return for their people.”
