From every December to next May, spotted seals return to their home habitat in Liaodong Bay in northeast China’s Bohai Sea, where about 200 seals are born each year.
Under first-class national protection in China, spotted seals are dubbed “the elves of the Bohai Sea.” However, the elves have to overcome various challenges after birth.
Human protectors are ready to lend the newborns a helping hand.
The seals in need of rescue will be sent to the Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute and the Aquatic Wildlife Rescue Center at Sun Asia Ocean World, where they can receive treatment and rewilding training.
On May 10, 2021, 37 spotted seal pups were released into the sea in the city of Dalian after they were assessed to meet the releasing conditions.
Dalian set up a city-level reserve for seals in 1992. In the past three decades, 384 spotted seals have been rescued. The survival rate exceeds 80 percent.
