Baby Harp Seals up close...an ecotourism experience.

[Catherine]

The Harp seals give birth  in the gulf of St Lawrence around the end of February. The seals come up onto the ice and have their pups. The pups stay there for the first weeks of their lives. They are fluffy white so the ice is perfect camouflage. The area where they birth is very accessible so there are ecotours set up to teach people about the seals and to take them to see the seals up close. One location has been taking people to see the seals for 45 years.


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/art...slands-up/

It would be an amazing experience to see the seal pups up close. They are so cute. 
The seals however are facing the impacts of climate change because of changes in the amount of ice and the quality of the ice. Seals are having a harder time finding a birthing spot. Visiting the seals is a way to see the effects of climate change up close. 
This year the numbers are good, which is a sign of the health of the actual ecosystem. The over all effects of climate change on the ice however is not good.