Harbor Seal Preserve at Carpinteria Beach

Jan. 21, 2011 - Drove up to visit the Harbor Seals on Carpinteria Beach.

Each winter and spring from December to May the stretch of beach between the Bluffs and Veneco's pier hosts almost 300 seals giving birth to and raising this year's batch of pups.

During this time, the beach is closed 750 feet on either side of the rookery (as their nesting area is called). The seals are there all year long, but in the spring the pubs don't have the thick layer of fat that they need to protect themselves from the cold ocean waters.

This colony has existed for over a century. Remarkably, this seal colony is only one of two such places along the Southern California coast that is readily accessible to the public.

The seal colony is a special place for the citizens of Carpinteria, who's goal is to make certain the colony is preserved so that future generations may enjoy watching the seals as they nurture their young or haul out to rest.

Pacific harbor seals are "true" seals: on land, they move like big blubbery caterpillars; in the water, they swim with their hind flippers.

The harbor seals usually bear their young in February and March. Few pups are born as early as December or as late as May. The pups usually weigh 12 to 15 pounds at birth. By the time they are four to six weeks old, when they are weaned, they can weigh 35 to 50 pounds or more.

Harbor seals feed on fish, octopuses, some crabs, and other bottom-dwelling organisms. They can dive well over 1000 feet and stay down for more than 45 minutes.

Harbor seals generally return to the same haul-out area year after year. They usually live and feed within a day's swim of the colony.

Harbor seals can live more than 40 years. An adult harbor seal can weigh over 300 pounds. There are a few visible differences between males and females.


While the seals and their pups are vulnerable, Seal Watch is there to make sure they are safe from human intrusion and keep hard data on the numbers and activities of the seals. This all volunteer organization has watched the seals since 1991.

Category:

Pets & Animals