January

This is the month with the most births. Mothers give birth a few days after arrival. While labor may be long, the actual birth usually takes only a few minutes. Mom immediately turns to bond with the new-born, sniffing, listening, and “talking” in a high-pitched voice. This will help mom and pup keep together. Once the pup finds one of the two nipples it will nurse on milk that increases from 12% to 60% fat. In the usual one month of nursing, the pup will grow from 70 pounds to 300 pounds (30 kg to 135 kg).

During her 5-week stay, mom loses about 40% of her body weight. In the last week of nursing she comes into estrus. She will mate with the harem master, perhaps several times, and return to the sea. The weaned, one month-old pup remains on shore and is now on its own. The weaned pup, or weanling, will live on its blubber for two or three months until it leaves the rookery for its first trip out to sea.