JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Tourists who want to look at seal pups resting among Alaska’s glacial fjords may be making things harder for the marine animals.
Cruise ship traffic in the glacial fjords an import nursery area for harbor seal pups has increased ten-fold in the past 30 years, the Juneau Empire reported.
Biologists like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration’s John Jansen have been collecting data on seals in the fjords of southeast Alaska.
Jansen has been studying harbor seals in Disenchantment Bay, one of the fjords among tourists, since 2002. The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe requested the study.
“Their traditional knowledge and experience in the bay told them that the numbers were reduced,’’ explained Jansen.
Biologists have created maps of seal distribution and aren’t sure yet if the seal population is declining, he said. But the study has found what Jansen called a “surprising level’’ of marine vessel disturbance.
Jansen said he will soon begin a study of all the state’s fjords.
Seals are particularly vulnerable to disturbances during the birthing season in May and June. And seal pups are more susceptible to heat and weight loss than adults, making winters more difficult.
Jansen said ships can lessen the disturbance but staying farther away than guidelines currently recommend and skirting areas with dense seal populations. He recommends keeping more than 500 yards from the animals.
Cruise ships could also reduce their impact by visiting earlier or later in the day, he said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is revising its guidelines for boats of all sizes in glacial fjords, from kayaks to cruise ships.
“We as an agency have been concerned about the issue of disturbances to harbor seals for a long time,’’ said harbor seal co-management coordinator Aleria Jensen.
The new guidelines will also give site-specific recommendations, but Jensen did not provide details.
She said the guidelines are voluntary and not required, but added that they “should be interpreted as best practices to avoid take on harbor seals in these areas.’’
Jensen said “taking’’ a marine animal means altering its natural behaviors.
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