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
California sea lion bodysurfing in La Jolla, surfing huge waves close to shore at Boomer Beach.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39121
California sea lion, underwater at Santa Barbara Island. Santa Barbara Island, 38 miles off the coast of southern California, is part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park. It is home to a large population of sea lions.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 23418
California sea lions, underwater at Santa Barbara Island. Santa Barbara Island, 38 miles off the coast of southern California, is part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park. It is home to a large population of sea lions.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California
Image ID: 23429
A beautiful golden-brown female California Sea Lion at the Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico. The huge male bull that formed the harem of which she was a part allowed her to hang out with me for a while, even while he continued patrolling just over my head.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 37318