With any seal encounter it is important to stay calm, slowly back away, and avoid making any sudden movements that may cause the seal to be forced to flee suddenly.
What to do if a seal swims up to you?
Always let seals make the first move – let them approach you. Sit back, wait quietly and observe. Aim to stay calm and move slowly to avoid spooking the seals and provoking an aggressive response. Be confident that seals are generally gentle creatures unless they feel threatened.
Will seals attack you in the water?
Do seals ever attack humans? No, but they might mouth you to see how dense you are. There have been reports that seals have had altercations with humans that have left a human with scratch marks or broken skin.
Is it OK to swim with seals?
Can you swim with Seals? Of course! With respect for the seals and their environment, it is a truly special experience to witness the way seals move underwater. While pups love swimming and playing with divers and snorkelers, it is important to keep a respectful distance from adult sea lions.
What happens if you touch a wild seal?
They will bite – and serious infections can be transmitted to you or your pet. Seals are mammals, as are we. They are susceptible to and can pass on nasty viruses such as herpes. Zoonosis — infectious diseases of animals that can naturally be transmitted to humans — is the biggest threat.
Can seals harm humans?
Seals are wild animals and will defend themselves if they feel threatened. While they can look harmless, leopard seals can swivel around very quickly from their resting position to attack and can inflict serious injuries to dogs or people.
Do seals present a threat to humans?
While seal attacks on humans are rare, as seals are naturally not aggressive animals, they can still bite in defense when they feel cornered or provoked. Seal bites are often non-fatal to humans but can cause serious infections.
Should you be afraid of seals?
“In my experience you have little to fear from the seals. They have a similar level of intelligence to a dog. Whilst they are strong and powerful with huge teeth these are highly unlikely to be used aggressively towards you – playfully yes, but even then they can be incredibly gentle.
Is it OK to touch seals?
How are seals protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act? It is against the law to touch, feed, or otherwise harass seals. Harassment occurs when your behavior changes their behavior.
Can a seal bite your arm off?
No, they cannot. They only use their teeth for catching prey. Pinniped bites will, however, leave scars, and you could potentially contract seal finger. Seal finger, if left untreated, will render the affected appendages unusable.
Should you approach a seal?
Keep your distance. Approaching closer than 30 metres to a seal on land is likely to scare the animal back into the water. Seals see us as predators and they may hurt themselves or their young trying to flee. Seals will be on land for a reason, such as to rest or moult.
Does a seal bite hurt?
“Part of our job is to protect the people, too,” said Art Yaskin, a Manhattan Beach animal control officer. “No matter how cuddly the seals may look, when they bite it does hurt and there is a big chance of infection.
Why should you stay away from seals?
If you come across a live seal please keep your distance as seals on shore are easily disturbed, and can in inflict a serious bite if agitated.
Can seals give you a skin infection?
At least one pox virus in seals can cause irritating skin lesions that take several months to heal. The bacteria Erysipelothrix sp., Leptospira sp. and Loboa loboi have also been transmitted to people from contaminated animals.”
How far should you stay away from a seal?
As a rule of thumb, stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) from seals. A curious seal pup might approach on its own, but the mother is likely to be nearby, and may see your interaction as a threat. No selfies with seals!
How hard do seals bite?
But cute and cuddly as they seem, seals and sea lions will bite and “a healthy 200-to-300-pound sea lion has the (jaw) power of four Dobermans,” he said. “Never has there been a case of rabies, but you can get other kinds of infections,” Cunningham said.
Can seals give you disease?
As if the damage by a bite wouldn’t be bad enough, seals can also carry infectious bacteria and conditions that can be transmitted to humans. In fact, seals don’t even have to bite someone to make them sick.
Can seals be nasty?
Seals are wild animals, even though the pups look adorable, they can give a nasty bite and can pass on diseases to people and other animals.
How do you know if a seal is hurt?
Continuous breathing (constant in-and-out flow) Lots of coughing, sneezing or wheezing while breathing. Able to see shape of their ribs or other bones, skin may also look loose or baggy. Lethargic or unresponsive behavior when approached.
How do you treat a seal bite?
Bite treatment
Antibiotics were used prophylactically in seven cases. Six cases developed no signs of infection and the remaining case recovered within 4 days. Reported antibiotics used were amoxicillin+clavulanic acid or tetracyclines. The majority of wounds healed uneventfully.
Can you get rabies from a seal?
In other parts of the world, 30,000 or more people die every year because they didn’t know about or have the vaccine available to them. Although sea lions, harbor seals, dolphins, and walruses are all marine mammals, official statistics don’t suggest that these animals are likely candidates for rabies transmission.