Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre releases five harbour seals back to the wild

Photo: Marine Mammal Rescue Centre

Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre has released five harbour seals back to the wild.

The seals were released at Blackie Spit Park in Surrey on Sunday, representing the final step in the seals’ rehabilitation at the rescue centre.

Each seal in the MMRC's care receives its own name, usually bequeathed by the person who found them. In this case, the released harbour seals were named Queso, Hula, Shuffle, Noodles and Quick Step.

Four out of the five were admitted to the MMRC because of maternal separation. Quick Step was released after 81 days, Shuffle after 86 days, Hula after 90 days, Queso after 97 days, and Noodles was released after 102 days.

"We respond to 150-plus harbour seals each year and, on average, have an 80-85% release rate," says Vancouver Aquarium spokesperson Todd Hauptman.

On average the rescued seals spend 10 to 12 weeks on site.

Aside from harbour seals, the centre receives more than 500 cases of marine mammals called into the centre each year.