Seal pup reunites with mom at Carmel cove

A harbor seal pup was reunited with its mother at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel after good samaritans called the Marine Mammal Center's 24-hour rescue hotline. A harbor seal pup was reunited with its mother at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel after good samaritans called the Marine Mammal Center's 24-hour rescue hotline. Photo: Johnny Hope/The Marine Mammal Center Photo: Johnny Hope/The Marine Mammal Center Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close Seal pup reunites with mom at Carmel cove 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

CARMEL, Calif. — Good Samaritans helped reunite a harbor seal pup with its mother at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel by remembering the No. 1 rule in baby seal rescuing: Don't pick up the pup.

The Marine Mammal Center urges anyone who sees a seal or sea lion pup that appears to be abandoned, sick, or injured, not to intervene. Instead, call the Marine Mammal Center's 24-hour rescue hotline, 415-289-SEAL, or call 911.

Good Samaritans did the right thing on April 19 by calling the hotline when they found a baby harbor seal alone in Whalers Cove at Point Lobos.

Trained responders with the MMC and Carmel Highlands Fire Department carefully rescued the pup from rocks, and were able to successfully reunite the pup with its mother soon after.

When the mother found her pup swimming near Whalers Cove, the two touched noses -- seal language for, "I love you, you're my baby."

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MMC spokesperson Giancarlo Rulli described the reunification as "heartwarming."

"The reunification was possible thanks to members of the public seeing recent 'Leave Seals Be' coverage and properly reporting the animal to our rescue hotline," Rulli said.

March and April are peak pupping season for harbor seals in the Monterey Bay. A pup can swim at birth, and when it gets tired, it hitches a ride on its mother's back. They spend about half their time in water and half on land. Mothers leave their babies to fish and forage for food in nearby waters.

Human interaction risks breaking the pup's bond with its mother.

"While these young pups have innate charm and are quite photogenic, it's important for the public to enjoy these animals from a distance," the Marine Mammal Center said.

This story originally appeared on KSBW.