|
|
 |
 back to episode homepage
|
|
|
With little to fear
from predators, this Weddell Seal mother and her pup allowed me a close-up view as they floated in shallow water beneath their breathing hole. Females give
birth on the ice, and most pups are born by late October. The pups weigh
about 55 pounds at birth, compared to 900 pounds or more for the mother,
but they gain almost five pounds a day drinking their mothers' rich milk
and can weigh over 200 pounds when weaned.
A few weeks after they are
born, their mothers begin to coax them into the water. The youngsters
have only a short time to learn the fundamentals of caring for themselves
and navigating the world under the ice before they are left to their own
devices. Within fifty days of birth, their mothers will have deserted
them.
--Norbert Wu
|
|
|
Previous Photo
