Harp seal and pup. The harp seals seem not to be able to adapt to lack of ice and are moving out of traditional birthing areas in the Gulf further out toward Newfounland due to better ice conditions.
Photo Credit: wiki commons

Lack of ice causing Gulf of St Lawrence seals to move

Harp seals  which usually give birth around late February or early March are common in the Gulf of St Lawrence. This year though, scientists who count the seal population every five years say the seals have moved further out from their usual birthing grounds due to poor ice conditions in the Gulf.

The scientists found most of the herd had moved out towards Newfoundland to have their pups.

Light ice conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence could put thousands of harp seal pups in jeopardy.
Thin and sloppy ice conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence could put thousands of harp seal pups in jeopardy. © Submitted by DFO

They say that the harp seals are also more widely spread out this year instead of congregating in a few areas.

Grey seals which tend to give birth slightly earlier in the season seem to have adapted rather better to the lack of ice in their traditional areas in the Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island and mainland New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The grey seals seem to be able to adapt to changing ice conditions and give birth on land © Submitted by Pierres-Yves Daoust

While harp seals rely on ice to give birth and tend to abandon pups born on land, the grey seals seem willing to give birth on land if ice is not available.

A colony of grey seals have decided to give birth on Pictou Island, on land, due to lack of suitable ice in Northumberland Strait. In the past couple of years, more grey seals have been born on land than on ice. © submitted by DFO

However the scientist report that due to melting ice many of the grey and harp pups born on the thin ice in the Gulf are at risk.

Female harp seals tend to abandon their pups if born on land, which leads to a high mortality rate. This photo is from Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010 when there was a lack of ice in the Gulf. The abandoned babies often become victims of eagles, gulls, or other predators. © Submitted by DFO

One scientist said they would fly over an area one day counting pups on the patches of ice, and when they returned the ice was gone with the likelihood the young pups had drowned.

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