Rescue centre releases 5 rehabilitated seals off Vancouver [Video]

It was a special day for five rescued harbour seals and the people who helped prepare them for their return to life in the wild.

CTV News Vancouver went along for the ride as the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society set the animals free just south of Bowen Island Thursday morning.

“They came into our facility in July of this past summer, and they’ve been with us for the last three months, going through the whole rehabilitation process, and today is the big day for them,” said Lindsaye Akhurst, Senior Manager of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society.

The seals were rescued as young pups separated from their mothers, and have spent two to three months getting their weight up and learning how to survive in nature.

Watching the marine mammals take their first leap into the open ocean was a major milestone for the volunteers, who’ve spent …