British Columbia · 2000—2026
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.
- Total reports
- 52
- Latest observation
Public reports · newest first
Public records archive
15 April 2009—9 December 2025
Follow updates
Receive alerts for new public reports. Lock-screen alerts show only a broad area in British Columbia.
Checking notification support on this device…
12 of 52 reports
Loading public records…
Public records could not be loaded. Check your connection and try again.
Explore by area
All areasMarkers 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.
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
-
Date: 2025Reported: Stl'eluqum (name given by Cowichan Tribes) Vancouver Aquarium / VAMMR original press release via CNW
Observation: VAMMR and Fisheries and Oceans Canada encountered a female Steller sea lion with rope tightly wrapped around her neck near Cowichan Bay. After a sighting reported by the Cowichan Tribes, responders sedated her and removed the rope. She swam away. The same animal had been reported since 7 November.
-
Date: 2025Reported: Crinkle Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre
Observation: VAMMR rescued a harbour seal pup in poor condition at Port Hardy and named her Crinkle. This record dates the rescue encounter; the time she was first found remains unspecified.
-
Date: 2025Reported: Pierogi (VAMMR name) VAMMR patient record PV2503 and rescue chronology
Observation: VAMMR rescued an underweight harbour seal pup after it was found alone and in distress at Brentwood Bay. The patient was named Pierogi.
-
Date: 2024Reported: Salty C (VAMMR name) VAMMR patient record PV2405
Observation: VAMMR rescued an emaciated harbour seal pup from Gonzales Beach after receiving a report from a concerned observer. The patient was named Salty C.
-
Date: 2023Reported: Friday / Friday Island (source-attributed names) Marine Education & Research Society (MERS)
Observation: MERS reported a very young harbour seal pup first seen without its mother at Telegraph Cove. The pup was monitored and collected the next day for treatment in Vancouver, where the rescue centre called it Friday Island.
-
Date: 2022Reported: Sea Lionel Richie Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre
Observation: A member of the public first noticed a thin, lethargic young male Steller sea lion on the beach. Responders rescued him the following day and named him Sea Lionel Richie. He later died in care on 10 February.
-
Date: 2019Reported: Nemo (source-attributed pup name) Laas Parnell — Race Rocks Ecoguardians Log
Observation: Laas Parnell recorded 13 elephant seals at Race Rocks. The log noted that only one had moulted and that the male pup called Nemo remained at the reserve.
-
Date: 2019Reported: Mo (rescue-team name) The Canadian Press; Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre
Observation: Salmon-farm employees near Johnstone Strait spotted a northern fur seal pup floating on its side and unable to dive. The pup, later named Mo, was rescued and flown to Vancouver for treatment.
-
Date: 2018Reported: Unidentified Vancouver Island Whale Watch; photograph by Martina Rehfeldt
Observation: Vancouver Island Whale Watch reported an elephant seal on its 28 September outing. A photograph credited to guest Martina Rehfeldt places the seal around Nanaimo. The account does not give a more precise location.
-
Date: 2016Reported: Chunk and Chuckles (source-attributed names) Riley Strother — Race Rocks Ecoguardians Log
Observation: Riley Strother recorded 14 elephant seals on Great Race and two on Middle Rock. Two animals called Chunk and Chuckles sparred in the water for more than an hour. A tagged female was also still present.
-
Date: 2016Reported: Unidentified Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press; Vancouver Aquarium
Observation: A young male Guadalupe fur seal was rescued in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian Martin Haulena described the animal as weak and dehydrated; it was taken to the aquarium's rescue centre.
-
Date: 2009Reported: Ninene Garry Fletcher, Race Rocks Ecological Reserve
Observation: Garry Fletcher observed a young elephant seal on Taylor Beach at about 4 pm. He identified the tagged pup as Ninene, previously observed at Race Rocks, and photographed it resting on the sand and returning from the water.