Over the last two weeks, as Saigoneers were busy capturing digital creatures in the world of Pokemon GO, residents of Binh Thuan were falling in love with the province’s newest beach dwellers: a pod of spotted seals.
According to Zing, the pair of seals first appeared on the beaches in Chi Cong Commune, Tuy Phong District, drawing a lot of attention from locals and tourists alike. Tran Thi Ha, a Tuy Phong native, shared that usually there are two to three seals hanging out in the sea or looking for food on the rock cliff in Chi Cong Commune.
“When we first spotted them they were quite thin, but after two weeks they became visibly fatter, with silky smooth skin. They’re very friendly and not afraid of humans,” a local fisherman told Phu Nu. “Everybody is fascinated by them.”
Local authorities urged residents and tourists not to harm the creatures.
One of the elusive seals spotted sunbathing on a rocky cliff in Binh Thuan. Photos via Phu Nu.
Experts at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute confirmed that this is not the first time seals have been spotted in Vietnam’s coastal area. Previously, fishermen in Da Nang, Ninh Thuan, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai have all reported seals caught in their fishing nets.
The institute believes that the sea mammals are young spotted seals, or Phoca largha, whose main habitat is the colder bodies of water up north. These seals likely separated from their larger herd and drifted down to Vietnam’s tropical water due to the current.
According to MarineBio.org, Phoca larghas are home to the icy cold water of the Arctic sea. Their common breeding sites include the Bering Sea, Okhotsk Sea, Sea of Japan and Bohai Sea.
