Harbour seals and Steller sea lions

Seals around British Columbia.

Follow public seal observations from British Columbia. Browse published records, explore the places and stories behind them, or share an encounter with the Seal Watch team.

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Total reports
52
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Public records archive

5 May 2017—11 June 2026

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Markers represent broad named areas, never exact observation locations. Select an area to filter the archive.

52 of 52 reports mapped · 6 areas

Map: Natural Earth.

Reports over time

Select a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.

  1. 12017
  2. 12019
  3. 12022
  4. 22024
  5. 12025
  6. 22026

Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.

  1. Date: 2026
    Place: Pelican Bay Marina, Granville Island Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Puck (VAMMR name) VAMMR patient directory

    Observation: VAMMR rescued a newborn harbour seal at Pelican Bay Marina on Granville Island. The pup, named Puck, was alone and still attached to his placenta. This record dates the rescue encounter.

  2. Date: 2026
    Place: West Vancouver shoreline Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Annette (VAMMR name) Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR)

    Observation: VAMMR rescued a young harbour seal entangled in a gillnet at West Vancouver. The society named her Annette.

  3. Date: 2025
    Place: Beach near White Rock Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Zeus (VAMMR name) VAMMR patient record PV2502

    Observation: VAMMR reported finding a male harbour seal pup alone on a beach near White Rock. The pup, named Zeus, was hypothermic and lethargic, with remnants of its umbilical cord and a lanugo coat.

  4. Date: 2024
    Reported: Gustav (VAMMR name) Todd Hauptman / Vancouver Aquarium; VAMMR patient record PV2402

    Observation: A contractor found a newborn harbour seal struggling in the water beside a dock at Mosquito Creek Marina, with its placenta still attached. VAMMR rescued the pup, later named Gustav.

  5. Date: 2024
    Place: Breakwater near White Rock Pier Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Nelson (VAMMR name) Todd Hauptman / Vancouver Aquarium, reporting VAMMR

    Observation: VAMMR found a young harbour seal trapped between breakwater rocks near White Rock Pier. The team retrieved the underweight, dehydrated pup with help from White Rock Sea Tours. It was named Nelson.

  6. Date: 2022
    Place: Blackie Spit Park, Surrey Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Timbit (rescue centre name) Denise Wong / CityNews Vancouver, reporting Vancouver Aquarium

    Observation: A passerby spotted a harbour seal pup at Blackie Spit Park. The Marine Mammal Rescue team found the pup weak and transported it for care. The rescue centre named the pup Timbit.

  7. Date: 2019
    Place: Kitsilano shoreline, Vancouver Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Jessica Seal (rescue-team name) Eric Zimmer — Daily Hive; Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre

    Observation: Rescuers found a young female harbour seal on a Kitsilano beach with injuries from birdshot. The team named her Jessica Seal. The wounds were already healing, so the discovery date does not establish when the shooting occurred.

  8. Date: 2017
    Place: Spanish Banks, Vancouver Metro Vancouver
    Reported: Señor Cinco (rescue-team name) The Canadian Press; Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre

    Observation: An adult male California sea lion was found on Spanish Banks beach in poor condition. The rescue team named him Señor Cinco. A later veterinary examination found gunshot injuries that were already weeks old.