Seals spotted in Bình Thuận Sea

A seal off the central Bình Thuận Province’s Chí Công Co妹妹une. — Photo Facebook Hoài Phương Dương

BÌNH THUẬN — At least three seals have been seen in the sea off the central Bình Thuận Province’s Tuy Phong District, surprising both local people and tourists in the past two weeks.

Trần Thị Hà, a resident of Tuy Phong District, said on Monday she and other residents saw three seals swi妹妹ing in the sea and crawling on a rock in Hà Thủy Village, Chí Công Co妹妹une.

Hà said this was the first time she had seen seals. She as well as many tourists found it an exciting event.

The local authority has encouraged the local people and tourists to protect the animals.

Experts from Nha Trang Oceanography Institute in the central Khánh Hòa Province said this was not the first time seals had appeared in Vietnamese waters.

Previously, seals had been caught in the nets of some fishermen in the central Đà Nẵng City and Ninh Thuận, Thừa Thiên Huế and Quảng Ngãi provinces.

Currently, two seals are being raised by the oceanography institute. They were found by fishermen in the sea off Thừa Thiên Huế and Ninh Thuận provinces.

Experts said most of the seals were spotted in the sea. Seals (Phoca largha is the scientific name) usually live in cold water or on icebergs in the north Pacific. The seals seen in Vietnamese waters had probably separated from their herd and drifted down to the sea off central Việt Nam. — VNS