Thousands of grey seals have taken to the beaches of Pictou Island for birthing season because of a lack of ice in the Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
Seals currently outnumber the amount of Pictou Island citizens by about 100 to one, much to the delight of some locals.
"It seems to me that they have figured out that this is a safe haven. We have a very small population. People that live here tend to appreciate nature and everything that comes with it and it's becoming an event," island resident Jane MacDonald told CTV News.
Warm water temperatures have kept sea ice from forming this winter. Normally the cows would have their babies on the thick ice surrounding the island.
There are worries that a storm surge could be deadly for the newborns. Five years ago, thousands of seals sought safety on Pictou Island's beaches, but a storm wiped out three-quarters of the young pups.
"However, this is nature occurring naturally, in that, should we get these winds, this herd or pups will be in jeopardy," MacDonald said.
Other locals are worried about the climate.
"We're just seeing them now because there's no sea ice. If there's sea ice, they'd all be out on the ice and we wouldn't see any of them," island resident John Ross said.
If conditions hold, the seals and their pups will stay on the island for another month before heading to their natural home -- the waters surrounding Atlantic Canada.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans estimates there are 300,000 grey seals off the Atlantic coast. The department recently commissioned a study to look at ways to reduce the grey seal population off Sable Island because it believes the seals are hurting the recovery of groundfish stocks.
With a report from CTV Atlantic Bureau Chief Todd Battis
