DALIAN, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Nine spotted seals, including 5 pups and 4 adults, were released into waters off the coast of the city of Dalian on Friday.

Having received professional wildlife reconditioning training at the Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, the seals are now adapted to the wild, capable of feeding on their own.

Under top-class national protection in China, the spotted seal is the only pinniped marine mammal to breed in Chinese waters.