Ribbon Seal spotted in Salish Sea
Updated Jan 25 with info from NOAA:
Sighting Information: On January 11, 2012 a ribbon seal was sighted in the Duwamish River in Seattle, WA. The sighting was reported to NOAA’s Northwest Marine Mammal Stranding Network on January 12, 2012. Photos indicate that the animal is an adult male and is in good condition.
Another sighting report came into the network on Friday, January 20, 2012. The animal had been sighted in central Snohomish County and was reported to be coming and going from the site for a couple of days.
Kristin Wilkinson, a marine mammal stranding specialist from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service responded to reports and was able to observe and photograph the animal.
A team of biologists from NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries Northwest Regional Office and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations convened at the site. The team planned to conduct health assessments on the animal and attach a satellite tag using non-invasive methods. The satellite tag will allow the team to track its movements after release in an effort to monitor its condition and determine if any further intervention is warranted. Unfortunately, the animal was no longer at the site and has not been sighted since Friday.
Please report all sightings of this animal to: NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Stranding Specialist Kristin Wilkinson at 206-526-4747. This line is monitored 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Species Information: Ribbon seals (Phoca fasciata) are one of four species of ice-associated seals found in the North Pacific Ocean and Alaska waters. Ribbon seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In December 2011 NOAA Fisheries announced it is reviewing their status for potential listing under the Endangered Species Act. http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2011/ribbonseals121212.htm
Adult ribbon seals measure, on average, five feet long and can weigh over 200 lbs. Ribbon seals normally inhabit the North Pacific Ocean, especially the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. Ribbon seals have also been observed in parts of the Arctic Ocean, including the Chukchi, eastern Siberian, and western Beaufort Seas.
They are strongly associated with sea ice for mating, whelping pups and molting from mid-March through June. The rest of the year is spent at sea; they are rarely seen on land. No reliable estimates of abundance or population trends are available at this time.
NOAA Fisheries National Marine Mammal Laboratory is planning to conduct a large-scale aerial survey of almost the entire known range in Spring 2012 and Spring 2013.
In addition, the National Marine Mammal Laboratory has previously conducted research cruises to the Bering Sea to increase our knowledge of the species' distribution, behavior, population structure, health and diet. For additional species information: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/ribbonseal.htm http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seals/ice.htm
Media Inquiries: Please contact NOAA Public Relations, Brian Gorman at 206-526-6613.
Original post:
January 2012: NOAA Fisheries reported that a ribbon seal (a seal normally associated with pack ice up north) was seen in the Duwamish off of Puget Sound.
According to the list of mammals in the Salish Sea recently published by SeaDoc, this a new species sighting for the region.
If you or anybody you know see this seal (hard to miss-identify it), please call NOAA Fisheries with the sighting as they would like to send out a biologist to assess the seal's condition: 206-526-4747.
Photo of ribbon seal in Alaska by the Wildlife Health Center's Dr. Tracey Goldstein, who works on ribbon seals in Alaska. Obviously the photo is not of the seal seen in Puget Sound.
