Harbor Seal Is in the Midst of Giving Birth When an Unexpected Visitor Shows Up
For some animals, moms-to-be are surrounded by their family or others of their kind for this occasion. But imagine if an unexpected visitor dropped in while you were bringing a new life into the world. That's the story of one mama Harbor Seal when a seagull showed up while she was in the midst of giving birth.
Talk about a surprise! TikToker @tea_withaside_of_ginger shared a clip of the encounter, replying to the comment, "Seagull was the delivery nurse." The way this bird was hovering around this mother seal, that's one interpretation they could get behind, and even wrote back "Yes!" in the caption.
Once you check out this video of a mother seal giving birth, you'll see why.
@tea_withaside_of_ginger Replying to @Justagirlnherwieners yes! It was very tense for all of us to watch! But she did so amazingly and was able to nurse about 15 min after birth and was reported that she went for her first swim about an hour after birth!
original sound - Morning Tea Time
This uninvited guest really wanted to be a part of this moment! But it's pretty clear that things were kinda uneasy as mom was giving birth. @tea_withaside_of_ginger added, "It was very tense for all of us to watch!" And in terms of having a feathery audience, who wants to be crowded during that moment?
Viewers found humor in their interaction and responded with jokes in the comment section. "Seagulls be in everybody business but their own," @morselsoftee kidded, and with good reason. This seagull just wouldn't back up while mom was pushing out her pup.
Related: Little Seal 'Running' Is Too Cute for Words
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@listenjewel claimed that this bird was being a "Seagull midwife ," but others weren't so convinced.
Some believed that this seagull was there for another reason. @amenimun chimed in, "Seagull: ‘So, are you gonna need this afterbirth or…?'"
How Harbor Seals Care for Newborn Pups
No matter what this bird's reasons for joining the moment were, people are just glad that mom and her pup are alright. While the birth may have been described as tense, @tea_withaside_of_ginger further explained in the caption, "But she did so amazingly and was able to nurse about 15 min after birth, and [it] was reported that she went for her first swim about an hour after birth!"
According to NOAA Fisheries, Harbor Seals generally give birth once a year to one pup, and those pups are dependent on mom for the first four to six weeks of their lives. Seal pups are nursed by their mothers. As with this new mom, they can start nursing quickly after giving birth.
From time to time, moms will leave their pups to find food for themselves, notes Marine Mammals of Maine. That could suggest that this mom may have recovered well if she was swimming after an hour. After all, she has to stay fed to take care of her growing pup.
Once they're weaned, pups learn how to forage for food by themselves. Then they're ready to get out in the world on their own.
Welcome to the world, pup!
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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 8:20 PM.