Five spotted seals were released on Thursday into the Yellow Sea off the coast of Dalian, Liaoning province, along the species' natural migration route.

Among the five, three were rescued pups and two were bred at Dalian Sun Asia Ocean World. One was a seal that strayed as far south as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in 2024 after becoming lost and injured. Following a relay rescue and rehabilitation effort, it has since fully recovered.

The release was jointly conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Liaoning's department of agriculture and rural affairs.

Each of the five seals was fitted with a unique identification code and a satellite tracking and positioning system for post-release monitoring.

The spotted seal is the only fin-footed species that breeds in Chinese waters. It is under top-level state protection.