Bryce, a harbor seal pup was found stranded at Land's End resort in Homer last August.
It wasn't immediately clear why he was stranded, except for scratches on his face and his flippers. After being observed for 24 hours, the seal was rescued and brought to the Alaska SeaLife Center, the only permanent facility for stranded marine mammals in Alaska.
The center's rehabilitation program rescues animals and whenever possible releases them back into the wild. In 2014, the center rescued and rehabilitated fourteen animals and thirteen were released into their natural habitats.
Once SeaLife Center staff figured out that Bryce was blind, he was determined non-releasable by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service.
Through the rehabilitation program, Bryce has started learning basic husbandry behaviors that will make his life at the center less stressful, and will make it easier for his human caretakers to take care of him.
His training includes hand-feeding and target training using audio cues.
Stranding supervisor Halley Werner says, "He's one of the more curious and playful harbor seals that I've worked with. Which is really exciting to see since he isn't going to be able to be released. He's not fearful, and seems to enjoy being around us."
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