Harbor Seal Protection Promotion Day丨West Pacific Harbor Seal, the "top predator" in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea

The West Pacific spotted seals are mainly distributed along the coast of the northwest Pacific Ocean, usually only active in the cold and temperate waters. When the breeding season comes, they need floating ice to produce and raise their young. The Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea in my country have a long ice period in winter, which meets the breeding needs of the West Pacific spotted seals and has become the lowest latitude breeding ground among the eight breeding grounds of the West Pacific spotted seals in the world.

Although under normal circumstances, the West Pacific spotted seals are mainly distributed in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea areas of my country, this is not the southern limit of their activities in my country. There are records of spotted seal activities in Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and even Guangdong, Hainan and Taiwan. This unexpected range of activities just shows the strong adaptability of the West Pacific spotted seals to the environment.

The West Pacific spotted seal is the top predator in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. Its activities are an important indicator of whether the marine environment is healthy. However, the life of the West Pacific spotted seal is not all smooth sailing. As a national first-class protected animal, it still faces threats such as global warming, marine pollution and poaching. To protect wild animals, we still need to work together.