"Extremely cute news". Ukrainian polar explorers showed the first seal of 2024, which was born near Vernadsky

The "extremely funny news" came from the Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station. Not far from the Ukrainian polar explorers, the first Weddell seal pup of this year was born.

Scientists reported that it was a boy who was born on Winter Island, which is located opposite Galindez Island, where the Vernadsky station is located. On their Facebook page, the polar explorers showed the first photos of the newborn furry and called on all subscribers to join in choosing a name for him.

"The pregnant female has been on Vinter since about September 1. We monitored her condition every day, either on foot or with a drone. On September 17, in the morning, we saw from the drone that she was already with a baby, and immediately went to them," said Svitozar Davydenko, a biologist with the 29th UAE.

Ukrainian scientists monitor the annual breeding success of Weddell seals, which depends heavily on the availability of sea ice. After all, it is on the ice or on the shores with a convenient descent into the water that seal pups are born.

According to scientists, in the early days, babies usually weigh 25-30 kg and grow very quickly on their mother's nutritious milk, which has a fat content of up to 54%. And by the end of feeding, which lasts about 3 months, they can reach 90 kg. For comparison, adult Weddell seals weigh 400 kg.

Most seals are born in early Antarctic spring. And traditionally, with the arrival of new residents, scientists from the Akademik Vernadsky station offered to choose a name for the newborn together.

"Write your options in the comments until 23:59 on September 22. The polar explorers of the 29th UAE will choose the most interesting idea, and its author will receive a gift from us - a chevron of this expedition," the scientists wrote in a Facebook post.

Among the names already suggested, these received the most likes: Verny (in honor of the station), Heather (because he was born in September), Peaceful (as a symbol of peace), Winter (in honor of the island where he was born), and Puffy (because he is so soft). However, there is still time to offer your own version, so do not waste time.

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