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Union Steamship welcomes newborn seal pups

On Sunday afternoon, Bella Bottay returned to work at the dock at the Union Steamship Marina to find a huge crowd of people around a seal and its newborn pup.
Mimi
Mother seal and her pup, named Mimi, on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Bella Bottay returned to work at the dock at the Union Steamship Marina to find a huge crowd of people around a seal and its newborn pup. 

“You could tell the mom was a bit stressed with all of these people around, and we thought maybe it was having a hard time breastfeeding,” says Bottay. 

Staff at the marina worked throughout the day to keep the crowd at a distance. Marina operator Oydis Nickle says a number of people were quite upset watching the seal demanding something be done to help it, especially when the mother wasn’t around.

“We did our research and learned that the mother seal will leave her pup for as long as 24 hours to hunt for food,” says Nickle, adding that the marina has worked hard to educate people on the matter. Staff also found the young pup stuck in a tire, and helped to nudge it out.

A second pup, probably born a few days earlier has also been spotted in the harbour. Local vet Dr. Alastair Westcott popped by the marina to visit the pup and has said that it looks to be in good health.

The pup born on the dock has been named Mimi by the marina staff, after one of the other staff members, Mimi Jones. The second pup is being referred to as Benjamin.