Seal mothers and pups (as opposed to other pinnipeds) generally stay close together on shore and are not separated while nursing. Harbor seals are an exception, and mothers will leave pups on shore to feed offshore. Seal mothers and pups can stay in contact by sound. Harbor seal pups make distinctive calls that can be heard for up to a kilometer. When in close contact mothers and pups can identify each other by scent, recognizing scent from glands in the skin of their flippers and around their muzzles. If you see a harbor seal pup on shore, observe it from a distance and do not approach—its mother may be offshore. Seal pups are naturally attracted to moving objects that are bigger than they are. This can help a pup stay near its mother, but can also make a pup follow things that it shouldn't (like you).