Spotted seal numbers on rise in Liaoning

Known by many as "pandas of the sea", rare spotted seals are growing in numbers in the waters of Liaodong Bay in Panjin, Liaoning province.

From October to mid-February, the ice floes in the bay provide a safe place for the seals to come to give birth. Newborn seal pups are covered in white fur, and while their mothers forage for food, they play on the ice floes. By the time the ice floes have melted in March, the young pups are strong enough to head out on their own and disperse into the nearby coastal waters to feed. By May, they set off for the Bohai Sea, migrating north along the coast of Dalian to spend the summer then eventually leaving Chinese waters. Check out the cute spotted seals in Panjin.

Yan Zhongqian contributed to this story.