Five seals released after rehab at Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre

It was a special day for five rescued harbour seals and the people who helped prepare them for their return to life in the wild.

CTV News Vancouver went along for the ride as the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society set the animals free just south of Bowen Island Thursday morning.

“They came into our facility in July of this past summer, and they’ve been with us for the last three months, going through the whole rehabilitation process, and today is the big day for them,” said Lindsaye Akhurst, Senior Manager of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society.

The seals were rescued as young pups separated from their mothers, and have spent two to three months getting their weight up and learning how to survive in nature.

Watching the marine mammals take their first leap into the open ocean was a major milestone for the volunteers, who’ve spent hours of their time with the seals.

“I think the best part is getting to help with the rehabilitation process and just seeing them come in, and getting to see them be released, back to their home, into the wild – it’s really, really fulfilling, exciting,” volunteer Linda Clarke Harter told CTV News on board the boat used to release the seals.

The Port of Vancouver supported the release of the seals by providing a boat and crew.

"The port authority has a variety of different environmental programs when it comes to reducing and mitigating impacts from commercial shipping on marine mammals and the environment more generally,” said Andrea MacLeod, the director of environment at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

“We really applaud organizations like the marine mammal rescue centre who are helping recover wildlife populations," she added. “Our role today, in addition to providing the boat and the crew to come out and do the release, we’ve also – in the summertime – provided about $30,000 of funding through our community investment fund to the rescue centre. We also provide port lands in kind to the rescue centre to house the seals.”

While seals are often viewed as social and friendly – and they generally are when near the shore – when out in the open ocean they often keep to themselves. Despite being released in the same area, the animals released on Thursday are expected to go their separate ways.

If you want to help, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society is a registered charity that accepts donations. There are also volunteering opportunities.