information from Seal Sitters

Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network’s final training for the 2014 seal pupping season will take place on August 9th. There will be no further trainings until late fall due to time constraints on volunteers. SSMMSN responds to reports of live and dead marine mammals along the shores of West Seattle and the Duwamish River.

Last year’s record-breaking pupping season stats in West Seattle (from late July’s first response to a newborn seal pup to the end of the year’s weaned pups) included 163 responses to marine mammals, including 66 positively identified seal pups.

This 2014 season has begun unusually early in West Seattle with responses in June to one full lanugo seal pup “Luigi”, a second premature pup, and full-term “Junebug” who is now in rehab at PAWS Wildlife Center.

TRAINING DATE:
Saturday morning, August 9, 2014
Time:
10am - 12pm (doors open at 9:30am)
*please note: Plan to arrive early to register and receive paperwork - training begins promptly at 10
Location:
Alki UCC Church 6115 SW Hinds, Seattle
Please RSVP on blubberblog (http://blubberblog.org/files/4b5e48fc08f32e9a4bd96efbe90d5a4e-594.html) for the training to assure seating.

*Note to parents: All children accompanying adults must be able to sit quietly through an almost two hour presentation (with break).

Unlike most marine mammal stranding networks, we encourage children to participate in Seal Sitters - supervised at all times, of course, by a parent or guardian. We are so proud of our amazing and dedicated volunteers who are on duty rain or shine - we hope you will join us!

A multi-media presentation will illustrate our educational work in the community and the unique challenges of protecting seals and other marine mammals in an urban environment. Included in the training is an overview of NOAA's West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and biology and behavior of seals (due to time frame, supplementary off-season sessions will include more marine mammals of Puget Sound).