It is officially May! Many May traditions center around flowers — May poles decorated with them and bulbs planted in the fall starting to pop open with new petals. This is a time of emergence of many types of animal life as well — both on land and in the sea. On a recent visit to the zoo in St. Louis, where my parents live and where I grew up, I was reminded of one of the more playful creatures in the ocean and one that has some of its cutest moments in May. May is pupping season for Maine seals. My daughter, who has been angling for a dog for many years since our beloved one passed away, pointed out how dog-like seals are as we watched sea lions (relatives of seals), playfully leap out of the water in one of the zoo’s pools.

Seals and sea lions are actually officially related to dogs — although not very closely. About 50 million years ago, pinnipeds, the group that includes seals, sea lions and walruses, evolved separately from other canids and the group that includes dogs. Pinnipeds developed flippered feet to allow them to move more swiftly through the water. Pinnipeds and canids do, however, still have some similarities. Whiskers are one of the physical features that make both species endearing. But it is their similarly playful behaviors that make them really seem related. Watching seals dart around in the water and use their flippers to hop up and out of the water, it is hard to believe they are just doing this for a purpose and not that it is a little bit for fun.

In Maine, we have two types of seals that live here year round — grey seals and harbor seals. At other times of year, it is possible to see additional species as well like harped or ringed seals. But you won’t find any sea lions here. The major difference between seals and sea lions is their ears — and neither of them have ears that look at all like a dog’s. Sea lions have “external” ears, although they are pretty small, whereas seals have “internal” ears, meaning that all you see is a small opening.

Another similarity between seals and dogs is that their young are both called pups. And spring is pupping time for Maine’s seals. Young seals are born on land and then spend time in the water with their mothers, taking breaks to nurse before they are ready to go off on their own. During this time, they often get pretty worn out and will take a rest on the shore. This is where seal pups and canine pups sometimes come into conflict. A worn-out baby seal, separated from its mother, can be quite scared by a curious dog it might encounter on a beach. The same is true of curious humans. It is important, if you see a young seal pup, to allow it some peace and quiet until it can return to the water and reunite with its mom. In fact, it is the law, since seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. There are some great resources describing proper behavior around these new pups on the website for the Marine Mammals of Maine at mmome.org. There is also a hotline you can call if you see a seal that you are concerned about (1-800-532-9551).

Count yourself lucky if you get to see one of these young seals in the spring when they are often closer to shore and taking their time to get to know our coast. It is a rare spring treat to see these playful pups begin life along our coast.

Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.