The guiding season on expedition cruise ships starts early June. At least for me. This early in the season we’re sailing around just after the pupping season for most of the seals. This means we sometimes see still very young seals. But I had never seen one that still had one of the parents (I suppose mommy) around. This pup was hauling out on ice  in a fjord (probably still too small to swim for longer periods), while mother was circling it, and regularly checking her out.

Seals usually have a very short nursing period, as the seals have to be able to get into the water as quickly as possible to be safe against Polar Bears. After that the seals usually have to continue on their own. Seeing a mother and pup together is therefor not that usual.