Is that seal wearing a hat?

[Catherine]

Yes, that seal is wearing a hat. It is a biodegradable marker glued to the seal's head. It will come off on its own in a certain number of months.
Scientists studying the seals are using this as a way to track them. Last year it was red and yellow tags. In 2025 it will be pink and orange hats.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10975969/seal...rch-study/

The seals don't seem to mind the hats, but the people who see them are having trouble. They think they are seeing things. They wonder if their cameras are okay.
Maybe the public should have been warned.
It will be worth it if they learn things about the seals. We don't really know them that well. The little hats might get the public interested in reporting seal sightings.
I would love to see a seal in a hat. They look so cute.