Rescue & Rehab Journal

May 29, 2013

April, 12th 2015

A one week old Harbor Seal was found abandoned near Ketchamak Drive in Homer. Volunteers from the Homer Stranding Network brought the seal to Soldotna, where Alaska SeaLife Center staff acquired it and brought it to the Center. 

May 30, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The 7 day old Male pup arrived at the ASLC's Rehabilitation Facility moderately dehydrated and underweight. He will be given subcutaneous fluids to help with the dehydration and his temperature will be monitored throughout the day.

May 31, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The pup has been maintaining a good body temperature and has become pretty feisty when receiving his SQ fluids.

June 3, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The pup is progressing well and is now on a diet of Harbor Seal formula that mimics the nutritional content of what he would have receive from his mother in the wild. 

June 10, 2013

April, 12th 2015

A few days ago, the pup started swimming before his feeds, and he really enjoys the water! He no longer needs SQ fluids as he is staying well hydrated on his own.

June 17, 2013

April, 12th 2015

As of yesterday the pup has been spending nice days in an outdoor condo. This milestone shows that he is gaining weight and is able to regulate his body temperature well.

June 24, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The pup has been gaining weight very well and is starting to show an interest in fish, though he hasn't eaten any yet. He is now eating a formula that contains Herring, like he would be learning to eat in the wild.

June 28, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The pup ate a fish today! During his fish school session, the pup caught and ate a small salmon. This is a great step in learning to eat fish, and an important skill he will need to survive in the wild.

July 1, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The little boy is not so little anymore, weighing in at 16.1 kg! He is now being fed an all fish diet, with vitamin supplementation.

July 10, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The pup is now living in an ODL pool, which offers a larger deck and a deeper pool for diving and eating fish.

July 11, 2013

April, 12th 2015

We are proud to report that our pup finally has a name! Shell sponsored a naming competition, and the winning name is Dipper, as in the Big Dipper! 

July 12, 2013

April, 12th 2015

Dipper is eating and diving well in his ODL, so we have decided to open to doors to the other pools and let him socialize with the other seals. Staff will be extra observant to make sure all the seals are getting along and eating well. We will also start feeding at random times to better reflect how he will acquire food in the wild. The seals also all received ID tags in their flippers, his number is 126.

July 13, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The seals in the ODLs all had blood draws today. Blood samples help our veterinary staff to determine how healthy an animal is, and whether any previous infections or deficiencies are under control.

July 18, 2013

April, 12th 2015

Today was a very exciting day for Dipper! Along with the other seals, Dipper moved into a new larger pool, with more room to dive. The setup of this pool allows us to feed Draco, Dipper, and Lyra without them seeing us. Our staff calls it the "Graduation Pool" because it is one of the final steps toward release. Dipper was weighed on his way into the pool and he has broken the 20 kg mark, weighing in at 20.2 kg.

July 26, 2013

April, 12th 2015

The seals are thriving in their larger pool! Weights were taken today, and Dipper is now 22 kg, up 2 kgs from a week ago! Gaining weight is an important part of their rehabilitation, as we want them catching fish and building blubber to prepare them for release.

August 3, 2013

April, 12th 2015

 Our 3 ODL 5 seals have been doing so well, vet staff has decided they are ready to release! Blood samples were taken today to confirm they are healthy, and they will be fed a large final meal to get them ready for the wild! Dipper was given a satallite tag to track his movements in the wild, so look for him as the light gray seal with a tag in the release picture to come!

August 5, 2013

April, 12th 2015

 Dipper was released today at Bishop's Beach in Homer, along with Draco and Lyra. Good Luck in the wild Dipper, and thanks to everyone who came out to see him off!

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