Adorable Seal Pup Starts to Explore
20 Video Views·Oct 8, 2022
Starting with a doggy paddle, this curious seal pup is taking his first dip into the icy Arctic waters, with a close eye from mum. But soon, it will have to face these freezing temperatures alone…
He may not be keen to take the plunge.
The salt water is minus two degrees Celsius, after all.
Pups start with a doggie paddle.
Mum stays reassuringly close.
Still developing his insulating blubber,
a pup is at risk of hypothermia,
so needs to rest and warm up.
Each day, he puts on another two kilos
and practices swimming for just a little longer.
Since birth, this pup has tripled in weight
and he's now at ease in this curious other world.
Twelve days gone by, a mother's work is done.
Surviving on his fat reserves,
as his downy fleece is replaced by a sleek coat more suited to swimming.
The temperatures in the Arctic are now rising faster than ever before,
creating storms that break up the ice flows earlier each spring.
Harp seal pups are being tipped into freezing waters
before they're ready to endure long periods at sea.
In some puppy areas, almost none survive.