Birth of Baby Elephant Seal Watched Around the World

Victoria, Vancouver Island – This British Columbian island celebrated the birth of its first elephant seal pup of the year Monday and the event was watched around the world. It’s being reported that the healthy pup is doing just fine at its mother’s side by a representative of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve.

Garry Fletcher, the director of education for nature reserve’s website, says Vancouver Island is well-suited for baby elephant seals. He explained that neighboring islands have rough waters which are apt to wash the young pups out to deep waters long before they’re capable of surviving on their own. Underscoring Fletcher’s remark is the fact that just last week an elephant baby pup was born on a nearly island which was later washed away to its death by harsh waves.

In the case of the mother elephant seal on Vancouver Island’s Rare Rocks Reserve, it’s possibly her fifth successful delivery. In fact, the reserve is the only known location in Canada where the elephant pups are born and bred. Elephant seals are typically found giving birth in locations across California and Oregon. The elephant seal population has been rebounding since the species nearly went extinct three decades ago.

Source material:
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Arrival+elephant+seal+Vancouver+Island+watched+around+world/9391272/story.html