The seal pups have a lot of growing to do during this time. They weigh around 65 pounds when they’re first born, but they’ll triple their birth weight during the first month of life, as they nurse by their mother’s side. They’ll also “molt” (shed) their baby black fur coat and replace it with a silver one that looks more grown-up.
After about 28 days, the seal mommas will abruptly get up and leave. The baby seals are left to their own devices on the beach, to figure out how to swim and catch fish. It’s quite the weaning strategy.
