Do you watch animal videos online? Yeah, me too. I also gain great joy from taking care of a variety of pets on our property.

I’m equally drawn to wildlife and June is particularly fruitful here in the Pacific Northwest. Watching baby birds fledge, “Junior Camper” bunnies hop along the edges of the grass, and marine mammal babies rest along the shoreline pull at my heartstrings.

This time each year, my husband, Matt Klope, a career biologist and trained volunteer for the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network, gives me the “Share the Shore” talk regarding the unbelievably cute Harbor seal pups.

There are 3,000-5,000 Harbor seal pups born in Washington inland waters June through August each year. Nursing pups remain with their mothers for 4-6 weeks and are then weaned to forage and survive on their own. Pups haul out in the same place for several days or weeks at a time and this means they are not abandoned.

These nursing or weaning pups will spend extended hours on the shore resting and regulating their body temperatures. They will often call for their mothers until completely weaned with a sheep-like “ma-a-a-a” and sometimes suck on nearby driftwood or rocks until they become proficient at fishing. Mothers often come ashore and babies nurse at night when there is no human interaction. Up to 50 percent of the pups born will not survive their first year of life due to poor fetal development, premature birth, shoreline predators, dehydration or starvation.

Many pups are too young to have developed protective wariness and may not flee when approached while resting or warming. Harbor seal mothers, on the other hand, can likely see you from the water and may not return to nurse their pup if they feel threatened. It is for this reason that curious and big-hearted humans must stay away. Abandoned pups starve to death and it’s gut-wrenching.

Thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Harbor seal populations have recovered to healthy numbers. This means the population is now at “carrying capacity” —- the maximum population size our environment can sustain indefinitely. It also means wildlife officials will not intervene in cases of natural mortality. It is equally important to keep in mind that rehabilitation of Harbor seals is difficult and many do not survive. Neither does rehabilitation guarantee the long-term survival of the animal post-release.

To act in compliance with this law, we human types must do everything in our power to reduce the chances of human disturbances. This involves staying far away, keeping our dogs leashed and calling the hotline number below only if it appears an animal is seriously injured. It does NOT mean pouring water over a pup, feeding it human food or scooping it up and taking it to your bathtub. While many pups are docile, they gain spunkiness with age and a bite can transmit nasty microorganisms that cause infection.

Despite any good intentions, disturbing Harbor seal pups and all other marine mammals is against the law because they deserve the best chance to live into adulthood.

If you observe a significantly injured Harbor seal or other marine mammal on Whidbey, you are urged to call 1-866-ORCANET.

The Orca Network is dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats. It accepts calls from citizens regarding all marine mammals of concern. The information you provide will be referred to area marine mammal stranding network volunteers who will assess the situation and plan a qualified response while working within the law.

* Joan Bay Klope may be reached at “Harbor Highlights” at harborhighlights@gmail.com