Pacific Harbor Seal Pup in La Jolla About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39071
Newborn harbor seal pup watches a Western seagull approach. The gull is trying to pick at placenta on the sandy beach as the seal pup, born just moments before, watches and tries to understand what is going on. Within an hour of being born, this pup had learned to nurse and had entered the ocean for its first swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39076
A small harbor seal pup only a few hours old, resting on a sand beach in San Diego between episodes of nursing on its mother. Over 50 harbor seal pups were born in La Jolla during the 2023 birthing season.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39067
Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39068
Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39069
A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39070
A newborn harbor seal pup, only a few minutes old, is nuzzled by its mother shortly after birth. Blood is still on the tiny pups fur coat. The pair will nuzzle frequently to solidify the bond they must maintain as the pup is nearly helpless. In just four to six weeks the pup will be weaned off its mothers milk and must forage for its own food.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39073
Newborn harbor seal pup is protected by its mother from a seagull. The seagull most likely wants to feed on the placenta, but it may also peck at and injure the pup. The seal mother does a good job of keeping birds off its newborn pup. Within an hour of being born, this pup had learned to nurse and had entered the ocean for its first swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39075
A newborn harbor seal pup in La Jolla, only a few minutes old, is nuzzled by its mother shortly after birth. Blood is still on the tiny pups fur coat. The pair will nuzzle frequently to solidify the bond they must maintain as the pup is nearly helpless. In just four to six weeks the pup will be weaned off its mothers milk and must forage for its own food.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39077
Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Two Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39089
A newborn harbor seal pup in the water at the oceans edge, born just moments before in the ocean and immediately able to swim ashore. The pups placenta and mother are seen in the background.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39101
A young Pacific Harbor Seal pup nursing. Mother harbor seals will only nurse their pups for about four to six weeks, at which point the small seal is weaned and must begin to forage and fend for itself. That short period of time is crucial for the young seal to learn how to hunt, socialize and swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39063
A young Pacific Harbor Seal pup nursing. Mother harbor seals will only nurse their pups for about four to six weeks, at which point the small seal is weaned and must begin to forage and fend for itself. That short period of time is crucial for the young seal to learn how to hunt, socialize and swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39082
Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Two Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39083
Pacific Harbor Seal Pup About Two Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39096
A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39097
A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39098
A mother Pacific harbor seal nuzzles her pup, born only a few hours earlier. The pup must bond and imprint on its mother quickly, and the pair will constantly nuzzle and rub against one another in order to solidify that bond.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39099