Seal pups starting to show up on Monterey Bay beaches – KSBW The Central Coast

MOSS LANDING, Calif.

Pupping season for elephant and harbor seals on the Central Coast is here and the Marine Mammal Center is reminding people to stay away from the animals.

Elephant seal pups can already be seen on the beach at Ao Nuevo State Park and the first harbor seal pup was born just over a week ago in Monterey County. Harbor seals can be seen on the Central Coast stretching from Monterey to Pebble Beach.

The animals are cute and do have a signature cry but the Marine Mammal Center is asking the public to leave them be.

"We really encourage people to check out the beaches this time of year and take in all of our wonderful wildlife, we just ask that people try and keep a respectful distance from the animals," said Julia O'Hern the Montere Bay Operations Manager for the Marine Mammal Center.

The Center responds to numerous cases of newborn pups that are negatively impacted by human interaction each year.

"We usually tell people that if the animal turns and notices you, you've probably gotten a little too close, and just back up a little bit," O'Hern said.

The danger is skittish seal moms can be separated from pups if startled by humans.

On Wednesday three elephant seal pups were in the care of the Marine Mammal Center in Moss Landing.

All three of them are malnourished, they're really skinny for their age," O'Hern said.

O'Hern said the animals all weighed between 80 and 90 pounds but should weigh double. The pups were already weaned from the mothers but were not doing well on their own.

Caitlin Conrad

Wednesday volunteers in teams of three were serving the animals lunch, a fish mash made of herring, salmon oil, and water. Tubes had to be stuck down the seal's throats so workers could get the food into their system.

The animals will soon be transferred to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito where they will be fattened up before being released into the wild.

WEBVTT ITHTHE STORY.CAITLIN: WE ARE SEEING BOTHHARBOR SEALS AND ELEPHANT SEALSON THE CENTRAL COAST BEACHES,AND YOU SHOULD GET OUT AND ENJOYTHEM, BUT KEEP YOUR DISTANCE.>> WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOMANY VOLUNTEERS.BIANCA: IT WAS -- CAITLIN: IT WAS A BUSY DAY OUTAT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER INMOSS LANDING WHERE THEY'VE GOT, SOME BABY ELEPHANT SEALS ASPATIENTS.>> ALL THREE OF THEM AREMALNOURISHED.THEY'RE REALLY SKINNY FOR THEIRAGE.CAITLIN: WE WERE THERE FOR LUNCHTIME, WHICH TAKES AT LEAST THREEPEOPLE.>> ALL OF -- PRETTY MUCHEVERYONE HERE IS A VOLUNTEER.THEY TAKE A LOT OF CLASSES.CAITLIN: THE ANIMALS HAVE TO BEFED A FISH MASH BY TUBE TOFATTEN THEM UP.ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS ARE ALREADYON THE BEACHES AT ANO NUEVO ANDSOON MORE HARBOR SEAL PUPS WILL, TURN UP IN MONTEREY ANDPACIFIC GROVE.AND WHILE THEY ARE CUTE TO LOOKAT, THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTERWANTS YOU TO LEAVE THE SEALS BE.>> THEY ARE VERY CUTE ANIMALS.THEY MAKE REALLY INTERESTINGSOUNDS.THEY HAVE SOME REALLYINTERESTING BEHAVIORS OUT ON THEBEACHES.WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TOCHECK OUT THE BEACHES THIS TIMEOF YEAR AND TAKE IN ALL OF OWONDERFUL WILDLIFE.WE JUST ASK THAT PEOPLE TRY ANDKEEP A RESPECTFUL DISTANCE FROMTHE ANIMALS.CAITLIN: THOSE ELEPHANT SEALPUPS YOU SAW, THEY ARE ABOUT 80TO 90 POUNDS RIGHT NOW, AND THEYSHOULD BE MORE THAN TWICE THATWEIGHT.THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER SAYSTHE GOOD NEWS IS THEY HAVEN'TSEEN TOO MANY SICK OR STARTINGSEALS ON THE BEACHES.-- STARVING SEALS ON THEBEACHES.ERIN: THE ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS INCARE IN MOSS LANDING WILL SOONBE TAKEN TO THE MARINE MAMMALCENTER'S MAIN LOCATION INSAUCILITO.AND THEY DO NEED TO MORE THANDOUBLE IN WEIGHT BEFORE THEY CAN