Northern Fur Seals and Xxxxxxxxx. Fur Seals Northern fur seals are pelagic and spend seven to ten months of the year at sea, coming ashore only to breed, primarily on rocky beaches on isolated islands. Adult northern fur seal females and pups from the Pribilof Islands migrate into the North Pacific Ocean and are commonly sighted off Oregon and California. Xxxxxxxxx fur seal presence has increased dramatically in the Pacific Northwest since 2007. Juveniles are commonly sighted off the coasts of Washington and Oregon and strand regularly throughout the summer months, with a primary cause of death being emaciation and malnutrition. Xxxxxxxxx fur seals are pelagic and spend a majority of their time in the open ocean, only coming ashore almost exclusively to Xxxxxxxxx Island in Baja California during the breeding season. There are currently no breeding areas in Washington or Oregon for Northern fur seals or Xxxxxxxxx fur seals. Northern and Xxxxxxxxx fur seals have a thin subcutaneous fat layer and a thick pelage that thermally insulates them, and they can easily experience thermoregulatory problems if they are externally exposed to oil. If fur seals are visibly oiled, capture and intervention should be seriously considered. Additional considerations must be made for Xxxxxxxxx fur seals since they are listed as threatened under the ESA. Adult and sub-adult fur seals can be difficult to handle due to size restrictions and behavioral aggression, which may make intervention infeasible. If a case is presented and intervention is deemed necessary, fur seals are washed using a thermal neutral washing detergent solution and require salt water for long-term care. Fur seals, which depend on their coat for thermoregulation, may need to be placed in a drying enclosure and will need additional monitoring for dehydration, hyperthermia, hypothermia, and alertness.
