Spotted seals seen giving birth on land for the first time in China

China recently captured clear footage of spotted seals giving birth on land for the first time in the Liaodong Bay area, local authorities of Dalian, Liaoning province, announced on Thursday.

The coast guard of Dalian, working with the Dalian national spotted seal reserve and the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, conducted a joint patrol in the protected area and used drones to record three newborn pups on a sandbank in the southeastern waters of Liaodong Bay early in February.

In the footage, the pups are seen nestling beside their parents or clumsily rolling on the sandbank. The absence of surrounding sea ice confirmed the seals had bred on land rather than on floating ice, a finding linked to declining sea ice in the region.

The spotted seal is China's only pinniped species that breeds in its waters and is listed as a nationally protected first-class wildlife species.

The species in the Liaodong Bay is genetically distinct and holds unique ecological and scientific value. Each winter, the seals migrate through the Bohai Sea area and typically give birth between January and February on ice floes.

"Spotted seals have traditionally relied on winter floating ice for giving birth," Zhang Yue, a professor at the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, said.

"But due to climatic and environmental changes, stable ice cover has diminished."

He said the successful land breeding reflects favorable local conditions for the environment, food availability, and safety, as well as the species' resilience in adapting to change.

To protect the population during breeding season, government agencies have intensified joint patrols, deployed drones for aerial monitoring of pups, tested water quality in core areas, and conducted legal awareness campaigns.