Watch as Adorable Newborn Seal Braves the Waves for the First Time
We all love watching cute animal videos, especially when they are about baby animals. Michael Boyd is an underwater photographer out of La Jolla, California, and he shares some really cool videos about the animals and marine life that lives there. He's made friends with some of the local harbor seals and has even given each of them their own names.
Baby Robin is the newest member of a family of seals. Michael shared a video of her at the beginning of February, when she was just one day old and still had her umbilical cord attached to her. It was a big day - her mom was taking her into the ocean for the first time. Watch as she braves the waves and tries to figure out how to ride them into the water!
Well the first wave definitely didn't go as she probably thought it would and it ended up crashing right down on her, sending her swishing around on the shore. But little Robin didn't give up and tried again...the second time went way more smoothly than the first! And can we talk about how adorable it was when Robin kissed her mama?! @Michael's fans couldn't get enough of the adorable little baby. One commenter made me laugh when they asked, "Is “galumph” a technical term? Because I really want it to be." While it might not be a technical term, it is a word, and describes the seals' movements perfectly!
Related: Video of Man's Surprise Encounter With a Tiny Baby Seal Is Going Viral
Interesting Facts About Baby Seals
Commenter @Charlie got more than 43 thousand likes when he said, "It’s crazy how animals just know how to do this. We take months to learn to walk". He's not wrong! The instincts of some baby animals are just incredible, like a baby giraffe getting up within an hour and knowing how to walk (and run!) So I thought it would be fun to learn a little bit more about these adorable baby seals.
Baby seals, called pups, quickly gain weight after birth, since their mother's milk is five to six times richer than cow's milk. They only need this milk for the first couple of months, then they are weaned off of it and learn to hunt for themselves. They need to gain weight quickly so they can start packing on the fat (blubber). When born, they'll weigh about 20 pounds, but with all of that rich milk, they'll put on 4 to 6 pounds a day! Their blubber is their protection from the cold, and a source of energy and calories for the times that their hunting is unsuccessful.
If you are a parent, you probably could pick out your baby's cries from others. The same happens with seals. A baby seal has a special call that it uses when it needs mom's help, and each mom knows her own baby's call.
Seals learn to nap in the water, but usually only take short naps since they can only hold their breath for about two hours at a time.
Michael said in the comment section that he'll keep us all updated on Robin's growth and progress, and he has. Follow his account if you want to continue to watch her grow...I know I will!
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