Grey seals make rare appearance in southern Vietnam

By Phuoc Tuan   August 16, 2016 | 06:42 pm PT
The seals, which mainly live in cold parts of the world, seem to be taking a tropical break.

Over the last two weeks, two seals have appeared in waters of the southern coastal province of Binh Thuan, surprising many local citizens as well as visitors.

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Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Duong

Locals said the seals often crawl up onto the rocks to rest. “They looked sick when we first saw them, but they seem to have got fatter over the last two weeks," a fisherman said. "The two seals are very friendly towards people.” 

Local authorities in Tuy Phong Commune have called on citizens and visitors to protect the animals and avoid catching or hurting them.

Experts from the Institute of Oceanography in the southern coastal town of Nha Trang said this isn’t the first time seals have reached Vietnam. Cases of the mammals getting caught up in fishing nets in the central provinces of Quang Ngai, Da Nang and the southern province of Ninh Thuan have been previously reported.

“These creatures often live in temperate waters. They may get lost or follow ocean currents and that's how they end up in Vietnam, so there’s nothing weird here,” said an expert.

 
 
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