A harbor seal was recently spotted in waters near Sanya, Hainan province. Since it was first spotted near Wuzhizhou Island on Aug 23, divers have encountered it several times and filmed it lounging in the sea or climbing to rest on a float.
Harbor seals are national first-class protected wild animals, living in temperate coastal areas, such as the Bering Sea and the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific. In China, this species is mainly found in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, and where they were recorded in the southernmost part of China is Guangdong province.
Harbor seals primarily swim by using their hind legs and the back of their bodies to propel themselves forward. They are highly skilled divers, making an average of more than 30 dives per day, with the ability to reach depths of up to 300 meters and stay submerged for over 20 minutes before needing to resurface. When swimming on the surface, harbor seals can achieve speeds of up to 27 kilometers per hour.
hind legs 后腿
Harbor seals can only use their forelimbs and upper body to move on land, resulting in a somewhat silly and cute appearance. They often capture the hearts of numerous fans when seen in zoos and are affectionately referred to as "sea pandas".
forelimb 前肢
wriggle [ˈrɪɡl] v. 蠕动
Wang Aimin, a professor at Hainan University who is an expert in the Wuzhizhou Island Marine Ranch National Demonstration zone, said: "The recent survey shows that the fishery resources in the Wuzhizhou Island marine ranch area have increased by more than two times in the past decade, and the fishery resources in the artificial reef area are nearly five times higher than the surrounding area, and the live coral coverage of the coral reef has increased from 18 percent to 25 percent."
fishery resources 渔业资源
"Animals are the most spiritual and understanding creatures of nature. They are the most important part of sustaining life on earth. If humans destroy animals' homes, they destroy animals, and they destroy themselves," a Douyin user "Cheese fried Fish Balls" said.
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