A watchful volunteer mans a stretch of beach near Queens’ Park in Oak Bay, where fisheries officials hope a young elephant seal will just stay put.
If he doesn’t act up or “go rogue” like he did on Sunday, April 28, Emerson can stay and finish his moult there, says Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Cottrell and Emerson go way back. Far further than his stay in Greater Victoria waters. Last year, this time of year, Emerson finished his “catastrophic moult” not far from where he snoozed on Monday.
“Where he is currently is not the ideal spot because it’s so busy,” Cottrell told the Oak Bay News. “The public is amazing they all love Emerson and they’re keeping their distance and being respectful.”
The roster of volunteers take turns offering information to passersby and keeping an eye that Emerson doesn’t wander into the street, as he did the day before. Beach Drive was closed for several hours before Oak Bay police – much like their peers at Saanich police a couple weeks earlier – helped DFO steer young Emerson back into the water Sunday.
“We may have to relocate him if he does that again. We’d prefer not to have to move him but for his safety and the safety of the public. He’s not a small animal, he’s likely 500 pounds or so. He’s very friendly for the most part but dogs and small children, if he’s startled, and of course cars, it’s not a good mix,” Cottrell said.
“If he behaves we can let him finish his moult here. But I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
The foray into the street and subsequent return to the water, did give Cottrell a chance to check out Emerson’s skin. He figures the young seal is halfway through his moult – where their fur and top layer of skin comes off in large patches – with at least two weeks left.
RELATED: Fisheries relocates famed elephant seal from Saanich to remote beach
A regular to the region, Emerson emerged at the Gorge Waterway in March. There he played in traffic too frequently and DFO relocated him to Barclay Sound. Within days, he reappeared in Greater Victoria, and has been beach-hopping since.
“He’s been all over different beaches in Oak Bay and Victoria the past week and a half, two weeks. It’s kind of like, it’s not Where’s Waldo it’s Where’s Emerson. So that’s been a challenge,” said Cottrell. “Of course we’re following him with the volunteers, the caution tape to protect him and the public, but it is a challenge. We’re hoping that he stays put here. He looks happy but we’ll see. And again if he does get into trouble in terms of in a high traffic area, high people area, where he’s in the neighbourhood we’re going to relocate him if that happens again.”
It’s happened before where a harbour seal was struck by a car and killed.
“We don’t want that for Emerson and we don’t want that for people driving,” Cottrell said.
While Emerson seems to seek out a crowd, this is the season of the elephant seal moult, and any could appear on beaches in the region.
Anyone who sees an animal being harassed or injured, or an injured or sick animal exhibiting unusual behaviour is asked to call the DFO 24-hour hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
RELATED: Emerson’s celebrity grows as the Victoria seal thwarts relocation efforts
