Additional stresses caused by human contact can only worsen the problem, he said. But Mate admits it's difficult to convince people that a cute, helpless-looking seal pup crying on the beach isn't in trouble. It's perfectly normal for mother seals to leave their offspring on the beach while they're off foraging for food, Mate explained. Some pups are not fully developed at birth and may be too weak to swim long distances. But the mothers have uncanny instincts for relocating the spots where they left their young, often coming ashore at night to nurse them over the 5-7 days it takes the infants to grow strong enough to go to sea.
Problems arise when humans interfere by touching the pup or trying to drag it back into the water.
Their intentions may be good, but their actions may sentence the young animal to death. When a seal pup is moved from where the mother left it, it is almost impossible to reunite the pair, said Mate. And once parent and offspring are parted, the pup is almost sure to die. Approaching baby seals can also be dangerous to people, Mate said. And people who disturb the pups, even with the best of intentions, risk being fined under laws intended to protect marine mammals from harassment.