| Keyword |
Description |
| Colony |
A group of seals that live and breed at the same site |
| Estuary |
A place where river water mixes with seawater |
| Endangered |
In danger of being harmed, lost, or unsuccessful
|
Pacific harbor seals, known as “sea dogs,” live in Baja California. Research led by CICESE, in collaboration with the University of Baja California, showed a sharp decline in the population: on the peninsula, it fell by 61.2% in six years, from 7,380 in 2016 to 2,863 in 2022. Aerial surveys also found that the number of sites where they live fell from 44 in 2009 to just four this year. The species is not on the list of endangered animals, but Mexico gives it special protection under the NOM-059 standard. Scientists say this is a warning sign for the coast and the ocean.
Seals need quiet places near the shore to find food and rest on land. They use the area near the sea, bays, and the mouth of an estuary, and go out to rocks, marshes, and sandbars to sleep and care for their young. They are easily frightened. Noisy machinery, cars on the beach, boats, and nearby rock extraction cause them to enter the water again and again, wasting energy and leaving safe places. Lack of food also harms them: without enough fish, mothers do not build up fat reserves, and fewer pups are born and survive. We can help by keeping our distance, creating quiet zones during breeding season, limiting noisy work near colonies, and keeping the water clean.
Bridging words
These words sound similar in English and Spanish: Why not practice them now?
| English |
Spanish |
| Collaboration |
Colaboración |
| Special protection |
Protección especial |
| Ocean |
Océano |
Time to discuss
- Why are the seals disappearing?
- How can tourists avoid disturbing seals?
- Should Mexico add stronger protections?
Let's write
Answer the following questions in one paragraph:
- Write a short plan to protect one seal colony during pupping season.
- Explain how low food leads to fewer seal pups.
