Submitted by Wolf Hollow

After more than two months of care at Wolf Hollow, three harbor seal pups were returned to the wild near Turn Point on San Juan Island on Thursday, Sept. 7.

The seals – two males and one female – were brought to Wolf Hollow earlier this summer from Whatcom and San Juan County. Named Zebu, Jersey and Tauros by the staff, they arrived at the center at just a few days old. They were underweight, dehydrated and in some cases suffering from infections and wounds. During their months in rehab, the seals received medical care and gained more than 30 pounds, thanks to a steady, nutrient-rich diet of formula, vitamins and eventually live fish. They learned to swim, dive, haul out on surfaces and forage for food until they were fit enough to venture back into the Salish Sea.

Once the transport carriers were opened on the beach, it took a few moments for the seals to emerge and inch toward the water. They cautiously explored their new, larger surroundings until they finally began to swim and dive further and further from the shore.

Wolf Hollow has treated harbor seal pups for over 30 years, and is one of only two centers currently licensed in the state to rehabilitate them. The program was temporarily suspended in 2016 due to a lack of funding.

For decades, the non-profit relied on support from the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Grant. After Prescott funds were not awarded to them in the last 2 years, Wolf Hollow successfully sourced $42K in private funding to resume the program in 2017. These funds were contributed by a number of individual donors, the Orcas and San Juan Island Community Foundations, the San Juan Island Women’s Fund and the Lush USA Charitable Giving Program.

Wolf Hollow has five seal pups still in care at the center. They are expected to fully recover and will be released within the next several weeks. For info, visit wolfhollowwildlife.org.