A group of harbor seals are pictured from a distance on a rocky beach located at the western side of Huping Island, in Lushunkou, Dalian, North China's Liaoning province, on Feb 27. The sea around Huping Island is part of Dalian harbor seal national nature reserve. Over the past 20 years, thanks to local protection efforts, the average number of harbor seals living in the area has numbered from around 160 to 280. Some of the seals even appear to have made the area their permanent home, rather than migrating back to the Arctic Circle each year. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]