Pup Pods

I figure you must be scratching your head a little at the title so I'll just go ahead and dive right into it.

Right now on all the rookeries about 95% of the females have arrived on shore, given birth to a pup, and are well into their foraging routines. What that last bit means is now that the pups are born moms have to leave the rookery to feed in order to provide good quality milk for their young. While they're gone the pups are left on the rookery to fend for themselves. Now that sounds like a dangerous deal and it can be if mom doesn't return for some unknown reason but really the pups have got it all figured out. What ends up happening is the pups form massive "pods" (sometimes hundreds strong!) in order to stay warm, keep close, play, and in general stay out of the way of everyone else (i.e. the sometimes aggressive males and females).

Once mom returns from her trip for food she immediately starts calling for her pup. The pup usually hears the call immediately and then begins its journey to find mom. The mother's call is the first thing a pup learns. Moms on the other hand have to learn the unique call of their own pup in order to hear it over thousands of others. It's really quite fascinating.

While you are here you will undoubtedly see this take place and it's always fun to cheer the little pup on to find mom.