Rare spotted seal pups were captured on camera on sandbars in Liaodong Bay, northeastern China, during the breeding season.
Liaoning Dalian Municipal Bureau of China Coast Guard announced on February 12th that, together with the Dalian National Spotted Seal Nature Reserve and the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Centre, they recently conducted a full-area joint patrol in the spotted seal reserve.
For the first time, the team captured clear images by drone of the Liaodong Bay spotted seal population reproducing on land.
Spotted seals are the only pinniped species that breed in Chinese waters and are classified as a first-class protected wildlife species. The Liaodong Bay population has evolved independently, making it irreplaceable for both ecology and scientific research. Every winter, the seals migrate across the Bohai Sea to the Liaodong Bay area. In January and February, they gather on the frozen parts of the bay to give birth.
During the latest patrol, drones captured images of three newborn pups on a sandbar in the southern part of Liaodong Bay. The pups snuggled close to their parents or clumsily rolled on the sand. The surrounding waters had no sea ice, confirming that this population breeds on land.
To protect the seals, authorities maintain patrols throughout the breeding season. Drones monitor the pups from above, water quality is regularly checked in core areas, and public awareness campaigns are conducted. These combined efforts aim to safeguard the Liaodong Bay spotted seal population for the future.
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