| Life Amid the Wrecks |
1 | 2 |
On Africa's southwestern coast, the hollow hulks of wrecked ships lie shattered
on rock-strewn shores. To ancient mariners, these dark monuments to maritime disaster
helped give this rugged swath of shore its name: The Skeleton Coast.
Golden seals live in large colonies along the shoreline.
|
 |
|
But there is abundant life among the ruins. Each year, hundreds of thousands
of South African fur seals splash ashore in Namibia and South Africa to mate and
give birth to sleek, playful pups. This week, NATURE's GOLDEN SEALS OF THE SKELETON COAST
COAST follows one of these youngsters on its 10-year adventure into adulthood.
Along the way, the young seal confronts a host of threats, from hungry sharks
and jackals to human hunters bent on claiming its luxuriant pelt. But it also
learns important survival skills, including how to steal
fish from a trawler's billowing net, snack on unsuspecting seabirds, and avoid
toxic "red tides."
Known to scientists as Arctocephalus pusillus, an estimated two million fur seals
live along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. Technically, they are not true
seals, which have no external ear flaps. Instead, they are "eared seals," closely
related to sea lions.
Fur seals start their lives in large breeding colonies on small, rocky islands
or inshore beaches. Adult males arrive at the sites in early fall, with the biggest
males typically claiming the best territories. The females follow soon after,
with each of the winning males building a harem of up to 30 females, some of which
have recently given birth to a pup.
The pups are known for their thick, dark fur, but older animals have lighter
pelts, hence the nickname "golden seals." Since the pup can't swim, the mom must
leave it alone every few days so she can head to sea and stock up on fish, squid,
and crabs that will allow her to keep producing milk. She'll nurse the pup for
up to 10 months before it can hunt on its own.
As GOLDEN SEALS shows, however, some of the pups don't survive their time at
home alone. Hungry jackals roam the colony, looking for unattended pups not yet
strong enough to escape. The wild dogs choke and then drag away the vulnerable
young seals. Other times, starvation strikes. In 1994, for instance, an estimated
200,000 seals starved along the Namibian coast after climate and current shifts
depleted fish stocks.
|
