La Jolla Friends of the Seals - Preserving a Unique Natural Treasure

2008 Pup Season !!

Carter born 2.10.08

Click on the image for a larger view!
Photos courtesy of Otis and Dawn Hilbert, Cindy Benner and Dorota Valli.

2008 Births - come and see them!

February 10. Probably born c.9 PM about midway across the beach and close

View Lulu's Birth!

to the water line. First seen by Dawn Hilbert. Big dark pup, healthy looking-mother large and dark. Named Carter after the newest grandson of the Hilberts.

February 15. Born early hours of the morning, on part of beach straight up from where the Submerged Rock is located. Not witnessed but birth confirmed by Dawn Hilbert and Sharon LaDuke, the Seal Watch person on duty. Pup is small, light colored with lots of yellow; mother medium sized, golden in color. Named Ryan by Sharon.

February 16. About 1:25 PM, almost at the waterline immediately inboard from the standing rock. WItnessed by Andrea Hahn, Ellen Stanton, Jerry Horna Bobby Sutera and Nicole Bell, Seal Watch person on duty. Large, quite dark

Video of this years first births!
Courtesy of Dorota Valli

pup, mother large and brown. Named Angel.

February 17. Born 4:30 AM straight inland from the Submerged Rock, about 25 feet from the sea wall. Witnessed by Omar Hallak, security guard. Small, gray pup, mother large,brownish, with cloudy right eye. Named Omama.
February 17. 5:15 PM, Born center of the beach witnessed by Pete Belding. Pup medium sized and grayish. Named Hiram.
February 19. Born about 15 feet from the bottom stair out toward the water. No witnesses. Pup large and black; mother large and black. Named McCoy.
February 19. Born overnight near the foot of the stairs going down to the beach to the left. No witnesses. Pup medium, chubby, yellowish with black face and

flippers Super cute. Named E.T.
February 20. No witnesses. First confirmed by Nicole Bell. Pup small and dark; mother medium sized. Named Tiger.
February 20. 6:15 PM Born just in front of the Standing Rock, not far from the waterlines. Witnessed by Kate Daignault, Seal Watch person. Named Lunar.
February 21. Born about 12:15 PM in the very center of the beach, witnessed by a crowd of people including Dawn and Otis Hilbert and Erin Berg, the Seal Watch person. No one realized there was a birth happening until the mother moved around a bit to reveal a pup and afterbirth. Pup is large and dark gray; mother is large, brown with spots and a faint mask around her

eyes. Named Sammy by Erin.
February 21. Born c. 2:30 pm near the seal wall about half between the high water mark and the water. Witnessed by Omar Hallak and crowd of visitors. Small, dark grey pup; mother small. Named Rambo by Omar.
February 22. Born 5:15 PM between stairs going down to the beach and the standing rock. Witnessed by Dorota Valli, Nicole Bell, Dawn and Otis Hilbert and hundreds of visitors. Pup medium size, solid grey; mother large, light brown with some spots. Named Lulu.
February 24. Born between 4-5 AM about twenty feet from the sea well and 20 feet from the Submerged Rock. Witnessed shortly after birth by Omar Hallack,

security guard. Dark, grey pup. Named Boeing 13 by Omar because "it flew out so fast" and is #13.
February 24. Born 1 PM in the middle of the beach. Witnessed by Dan Ariel and Andrea Hahn. Very small pup born fully encased in its placenta. The mother kept nudging it; the pup moved twice and then died. It was a natural death. Waves washed the pup out to sea...
February 25. Born c.6:30 AM center beach up by the highwater line. No witnesses but first reported by Barbara Cross. Small black pup with white stomach; mother medium size, mostly brown. Named Stormy.
February 27. Born early morning on part of beach slightly towards Submerged

Rock from the center of the beach. No witnesses but first reported by Dawn Hilbert. Gray pup, medium sized; mother also medium sized gray. Named Hailey as requested by onlooker.
February 27. Born 2:30 PM near the sea wall and a little up on the beach from the waterline. Witnessed by Kate Daignault and visitors. Small black pup, mother medium sized, gray. Named J.J.
February 27. Born 4:40 PM on part of beach just below the Seal Watch table. Witnessed by Kate Daignault and visitors. Smokey grey pup, mother large, brown and spotted. Named Campbell.
February 27. Born 5.00 PM on part of beach just below Seal Watch table and

right next to the spot where #18 was born. Witnessed by Kate Daignault and visitors. Smokey grey pup, mother large, brown and spotted. Name Layla.

#18 and #19 are remarkable in that they were born near the same spot on the same day - that they look alike as do their mothers.
February 28. Born during the night high on the beach near the center, not far from the births of #18 and #19.No witnesses, first observed by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli. Light gray pup. Named Herbert by Erin Berg.
February 28. Born during the night high on the beach near the center. No witnesses, first observed by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli. Dark pup. Named

Chipmunk by Dorota Valli.
February 28. Born 2:30 PM in the middle of the beach about 20 feet from the sea wall. Witnessed by Amy Glassmoyer and visitors. Gray pup, darker on top; mother light, large. Named Binnie by Amy in memory of her grandmother who lived in La Jolla, loved the seals.
February 29. Born overnight close to the bluff between the stairs and the Standing Rock. First observed by Dawn Hilbert Dark, medium sized pup with a large, dark mom. Dawn and Dorota Valli named the pup Roberta for Roberta Wolff, LJFS docent whose birthday was celebrated yesterday.
February 29. Born overnight about 20 feet straight out from the stairs. First observed by Dawn Hilbert. Small gray pup with light stomach, mother medium

sized, mostly brown. Dorota Valli named the pup Otis.
February 29. Born 12:10 PM near Standing Rock and shoreline. Witnessed by Cindy Benner, Jane Bradford, Omar Hallak, Dorota Valli and visitors. Small gray pup, medium sized mother, dark with light spots on top. Named Dawn by Cindy Benner.
March 2. Born overnight in about the center of the beach. No witnesses, first reported by Omar Hallak. Pup dark with light stomach. Named Gaza by Omar.
March 3. Born overnight, location unknown. No witnesses, first reported by Dorota Valli. Medium sized pup with some yellow and a light stomach. Mother, the seal with the bad scar around her neck. Named M & M by Dorota.

March 4. Born overnight by the sea wall. No witnesses, first reported by a

Video of a LIVE birth!
Courtesy of Omar Hallak

birdwatcher to Dawn Hilbert. Dark gray pup with silver stomach, mother large, silver. Named Zyanya after Sarah Khorram's and Saul Alarcon-Farfan's, (founders of SealWatch program) daughter.

March 4. Born overnight near the Standing Rock. No witnesses, first reported by a birdwatcher who saw it c. 6:45 A.M. Small, very yellow pup with a large silver mom. Named Daisy by Dawn Hilbert.
March 4. Born c. 5.00 PM about halfway between the water and the big rock at the bottom of the stairs. Witnessed by Dorota Valli, Omar Hallak and visitors. Medium sized, dark pup, mother good sized, brown. Named Vern by Dorota and Kristine, a regular jogger in the area, after her husband.
March 7. Born at 2:35 PM about 30 feet straight up the beach from the Submerged Rock and about 25 feet from the sea wall. Witnessed by Dorota Valli, Elliot Kennerson, Dawn Hilbert and c. a hundred visitors. Mostly light grey, medium sized pup, mother large brown, with white spots on her back. Named Eliott.
March 7. Born 4:35 PM about 20 feet out onto the beach from the foot of the stairs. Witnessed by Dorota Valli, Ellen Stanton, Eliott Kennerson, Patricia Botello and visitors. Very cute, strong pup, black, spotted stomach; mother large brown, with a small mask around her eyes. Named Ebony by Patricia Botello.
March 8. Born 3:30 AM, middle of the beach below the high water mark. Witnessed by Omar Hallak. Dark pup with very large brown mother. Named Noma by Omar after his sister.
March 9. Born overnight straight toward the seawall from the bottom of the stair about one third of the way across the beach. No witnesses, first reported by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli. Light pup, large mother. Named Bryan after APRL attorney, Bryan Pease, who did pro bono work on a federal lawsuit Thanks to him we have a pupping season rope installed this year.
March 12. Born - unknown time and location. No witnesses. Dark pup, no information on mother. Named Jupiter.
March 12. Born - unknown time and location. No witnesses. Light pup, no information on mother. Named Mars.
March 19. Born overnight on the seal side of the rope midway between the signs. No witnesses, first reported by Dawn Hilbert. Fairly big, light silvery pup, large blackish patch on the left side of the head, big blackish back flippers, with large, dark brown mother. Named Joy by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli.
March 21. Birth location unknown. No witnesses. Dark pup, brown mother. Named Spring.
March 22. Born possibly next to the sea wall and halfway between the rope and the water. No witnesses, first reported by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli. Small pup with a Lang coat, possibly dark gray underneath, mother medium sized, very dark brown. Named Paty after Paty Weisz, former docent and faithful supporter of LJFS, now living in Mexico.
March 30. 7:30 AM near the rope in the center of the beach. No witnesses, first reported by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli. Pup small, lightly colored, silver white with black head. Mother medium sized, brown/golden color. Named Candy by Dorota and Dawn.
April 1. c 7:30 PM between the rope and the Standing Rock about 25 feet from the bluff. Witnessed by Marjane Aalam. Large, lanky pup with light grey lanugo, black tail and black cap, mother medium sized, very light bown, almost golden. Named April by Marjane.
April 5. Born during the night on the beach between the Standing Rock and Submarine Rock. No witnesses, first reported by Dawn Hilbert and Dorota Valli. No description of pup or mother. Named Jellybean by Dorota and Dawn.