Look closely the next time you walk on the beach at Davis Bay - that thing that looks like a pile of rocks might actually be the harbour seal pup that's taken up residence on the popular shoreline.
The pup, that is 15 days old as of July 24, has been spending days sunning itself on the shore, slowly moving up the beach as the tide rises. Most days, it's been within sight of Robin Atkinson, a Davis Bay resident who's been voluntarily watching over the pup since it was born on July 9. Clint Davy from the Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre has been monitoring it twice daily, looking for signs of dehydration, such as loose skin. The pup is not abandoned, as many people have assumed, and so far it's healthy, Davy said. It appears the mother returns at night to nurse the pup, that right now is living solely off its mother's milk, he added. So far, it's too early to say whether it's a male or female.
"Normally a pup wouldn't be left for such a long period of time on a busy beach such as Davis Bay," said Davy, who's certified through the International Wildlife Rehab Council. "We've been so lucky that Robin's been there and has been able to monitor it for several hours a day."
The pup has piqued public curiosity, and has been swimming with people in the water. A favourite hangout for the pup is on the ladder at the swimming float in the bay. While Davy said there's not much that can be done to stop the pup from swimming out to meet people, he is "concerned it's trying to bond too much with people who are swimming," he said.
"We'd like people to keep their distance and respect the signs that are out there," Davy suggested. People should stay six metres (20 feet) away and not try to pick up the pup, he said.
It's "not uncommon up and down the Coast" for mother seals to leave their newborns on shore while they spend the day hunting for food, then return later on, Davy said.
"Sometimes, if something disrupts the bonding process after birth, the pup may end up being abandoned," he said.
Each summer, the Vancouver Aquarium sets up a marine mammal rehab centre on the shores of Vancouver's Burrard Inlet, and if the pup's health starts to slip, Davy will transport it there. Last year, 18 seal pups were taken there from the Coast, and 21 were taken over the year before.
"It's a natural history lesson for a lot of people," Davy said. "As long as it stays healthy, and we can keep public interference down to a minimum, we'll let it be."
To volunteer or make a donation to the Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre, call 604-886-4989, or drop by the centre at 1211 Carmen Rd. in Gibsons.
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