The Vancouver Aquarium recently welcomed two new residents — rescued harbour seals.
Due to the severity of their injuries, they have been deemed non-releasable by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Vancouver Aquarium will now be their home.
One of the seals is named Skeena, after the Skeena River, staff at the aquarium explained.
This is a popular harbour seal haulout location. Skeen was found on Aug. 4, 2022, in South Surrey, swimming frantically in the Serpentine River.
Staff at the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre noticed she had severe eye injuries. Her right eye has now healed but she still cannot see out of it and her left eye had to be removed due to her injuries.
The second seal, named Pym, was found at Whiffin Spit in Sooke and admitted to the rescue centre on Sept. 19, 2022.
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She is named after Pym Island rocks which is a harbour seal haulout along the B.C. coast.
Staff at the centre said Pym also had injuries, including multiple wounds, poor body condition and dehydration.
Once stabilized, she was diagnosed with bilateral congenital cataracts and is also nonvisual, staff explained.
“These seals have overcome so much in their time at the rescue centre. We are fortunate their care will continue at the Vancouver Aquarium, where they will be important ambassadors for our rescue program,” Marine Mammal Rescue Centre manager Lindsaye Akhurst said in a release.
“It is important to remember that it is normal to see marine mammals inhabiting our local waters, and while they may look approachable, they are wild animals, and we need to respect that. The best thing you can do if you are observing a marine mammal you suspect needs assistance is to keep people and pets back and to call the Department of Fisheries and Oceans or MMR,” she added.
The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre is Canada’s only dedicated marine mammal rescue facility and one of the largest in the world.
The centre has rescued and rehabilitated marine mammals for over 60 years. The facility allows for on-site rehabilitation of seals, sea lions, sea otters, sea turtles and small cetaceans. The centre also responds to off-site marine mammal emergencies, including disentangling sea lions along the coast.
Members of the public are encouraged to call the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada incident reporting hotline at 1-800-465-4336 for any other marine mammal incidences or MMR at 604-258-SEAL(7325) for seal pups.