On March 30, 2020, volunteers from China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Community Conservation Area for spotted seal at Dalian (CCAfa) went to the Huping Island waters in Lvshun to conduct a routine Bohai Seal spotted seal population survey and coastal environmental monitoring activities. This survey is of great significance for accurately grasping the population of spotted seals in the Bohai Sea, for formulating relevant protection strategies and providing basic data.

The volunteers were divided into two teams. A team rushed to Huping Island to observe spotted seals, and another team surveyed the coastal environment and garbage pollution on land.

Everyone took a speedboat to Huping Island and drove fast along the way. The speedboat rolled up and down on the sea. After more than forty minutes, the island appeared in the skyline. The speed of the ship is slowed, and the sound of the motor is reduced to avoid disturbing the spotted seals. A team member with sharp eyes found a spotted seal resting on the beach. Everyone took out the cameras one after another, but the spotted seals noticed that they all rolled into the sea one after another, and there were about twenty of them in this group. After that, everyone found several groups of seals on the west reef group. A few spotted seals moved on the adjacent water surface, and from time to time came out of the water surface, exposing their round heads, as if saying hello to volunteers.

A total of about 66 spotted seals were found in the sea area. A team of people successfully completed the observation task of the day.

Another team of people observed the environmental pollution along the dock. There are small docks in the area where many fishermen ’s boats dock to unload.

Distributed there are mainly various garbage such as fishing nets, as well as many household plastic garbage. Volunteers picked up and cleaned up the garbage wherever they went, protected the environment, gave the spotted seals a clean water area, and gave humanity a sustainable, diverse and harmonious ecological home.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF volunteers)

By / Maggie