Fur Seals
We were very fortunate to come across this newborn pup and its mother on our visit to Genovesa! The seals often avoid the mid-day sun, retreating back into the rocks and staying out of sight in the shade. They hunt in the Marine Reserve at night.
They are the smallest in the family of the eared seals, and have a grayish-brown fur coat. The Galapagos Fur Seals are endemic to the Islands and due to their decreasing population size, they are classed as endangered.
Galapagos fur seals live in large colonies which are divided into territories by the female seals during breeding season. Every mother seal claims a territory for herself and breeds her pup there. They have the lowest reproductive rate reported in all seals, with the females only bearing one pup at a time. She remains with her newborn for a week before leaving to feed. Baby seals weigh on average 20 pounds when first born and they pack on about 4 to 6 pounds a day.
Fur Seals
We were very fortunate to come across this newborn pup and its mother on our visit to Genovesa! The seals often avoid the mid-day sun, retreating back into the rocks and staying out of sight in the shade. They hunt in the Marine Reserve at night.
They are the smallest in the family of the eared seals, and have a grayish-brown fur coat. The Galapagos Fur Seals are endemic to the Islands and due to their decreasing population size, they are classed as endangered.
Galapagos fur seals live in large colonies which are divided into territories by the female seals during breeding season. Every mother seal claims a territory for herself and breeds her pup there. They have the lowest reproductive rate reported in all seals, with the females only bearing one pup at a time. She remains with her newborn for a week before leaving to feed. Baby seals weigh on average 20 pounds when first born and they pack on about 4 to 6 pounds a day.