She’s settled in nicely in quarantine and is gaining weight on formula. She’s a feisty seal with plenty of energy!
Gold Digger
Patient Record
Species: Harbour Seal
Patient ID: PV2357
Admitted on: 2023/08/15
Collection Site: Genoa Bay
Reason for Admission: Maternal Separation
Weight at Admission: 12.6 kg
Patient Status: in care
Time in Care: 40 days (1 month, 1 week, 3 days)
Current Habitat: Out of Quarantine
Once a patient has spent some time in quarantine and been given a clean bill of health, they are moved to a larger and deeper tub and leave quarantine. Here they can improve their skills until they are moved to a pool with other harbour seals.
Transfer History
Received from: IWNCC
Original Admission: 2023/08/08
Weight at Admission: 10 kg
Mode of Transport: Harbour Air
Patient Progress
Fish School Gold Digger is now in fish school. She is currently learning how to eat fish on her own. All pups are initially hand-fed, but later fish is just thrown into their tub to give them an opportunity to dive for, grab and swallow the fish whole, head first. It's something all pups need to learn, and it requires quite some skill. Eventually, Gold Digger will eat entirely on her own at which point she will graduate from fish school.
Patient Updates
Gold Digger has been moved out of quarantine! She has also begun the weaning process where her diet will be incrementally switched from formula to fish.
Gold Digger has completed the weaning process and is now in fish school! She’s making great progress, chasing fish around during her swims.
Gold Digger is doing great in fish school! She’s eating on all her own!
We saw a little new born seal pup all on her own hanging around our boat in the morning. No mama seal in sight, and her umbilical cord was still attached. At first she seemed just cute, nosing all around and strangely unafraid of us. Later as we were getting ready to go, we found that she was resting on our anchor chain that was looped down into the water. She wasn’t looking too good, sort of drifting in and out of consciousness and like she really needed a place to rest and something to eat.
We found the number for Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre and they were wonderful, assuring us that someone was coming within the hour. So we hung out with the pup who was clearly exhausted and needing help.
The volunteer was amazing and we shifted responsibility to her. The little seal went over to her, almost as if coming when called. They have been kind enough to let us know how Digger is doing and we are so grateful for their expertise in helping our marine friends!
My husband and I are amongst Gold-digger’s warmly supportive friends and admirers! Our daughter Diana Comfort and Bo Norbjerg identified her as a baby seal in distress, looking vainly for her Mama. Diana and Bo contacted British Columbia Marine Mammal Rescue, and the rest is history. Or more accurately, the rest is a beautiful on-going story. It will be so fascinating to learn how you teach her to fish on her own. Thanks so much for the work you do.
Go, Gold-digger!!
Joan and Roger Smith
I’m happy to hear about your progress in bringing her back to health and providing her with the skills she needs/will need in the wild.
Thank You!
Anne Heider
Evanston, Illinois