ABOUT SEAL SITTERS

Seal Sitters is an all-volunteer group dedicated to the protection of harbor seals in the urban habitat of Puget Sound in Washington State and the health of their marine environment. Seal Sitters has created a unique opportunity for protection, conservation, education and research.

Trained by NOAA, they spend their days (and often nights) watching over seal pups resting on city beaches while mother seals fish.

Seal Sitters was formed when a unique phenomenon occurred in the summer of 2007: baby seal pups began popping up on the urban beaches of West Seattle. The first tiny pup arrived on a hot mid-August day on a beach crowded with sunbathers and beach revelers. The pup was quickly surrounded by curious and alarmed onlookers and a small group of animal lovers sought out the advice of NOAA and erected a tape barrier to protect him. Over the next few weeks, many pups “hauled out” on our beaches under the watchful eyes of Seal Sitters, protecting them from curious dogs and over-zealous people. The pups were able to rest and gain strength until reunited with their moms at the end of a long day of fishing.

In addition to educating the public about seals and their habits, Seal Sitters has been instrumental in assessing the health of the seal pups, leading to the rescue and subsequent treatment of a number of them by PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society). The volunteers provide health and mortalities data to government agencies and biologists who are involved in improving our marine ecosystem. Much more than an animal welfare group, Seal Sitters is dedicated to the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem as a whole.

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