A grey seal pup has found its way to the sand in Dewey Beach on Thursday morning.
Dewey Beach police officers have been watching the seal as respondents from the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute in Lewes work to monitor the pup and educate the public.
While MERR is waiting on more information to determine the health and status of the seal, Executive Director Suzanne Thurman said it’s common for pups to rest on the Delaware beaches, especially after being weaned from their mothers.
“It is normal behavior for seals to come up on beaches and other land-based areas because they do have to get out of the water to rest and sleep,” Thurman said. “Especially with these pups, just like a human baby, they need to sleep more.”
She said it’s possible that this pup could be a member of the seasonal seal colony off the coast of Lewes — a local colony that has been growing over the last decade — but it’s also common for pups to find respite in Delaware as they head south from northern destinations in New England.
SEAL COLONY:Delaware has had a seal colony for over a decade, and it’s growing
Seal pups often spend more time outside the water while they’re molting, a process similar to a snake shedding its skin or birds losing feather where the seal’s “baby fur” falls away as they mature.
She could not yet determine whether that was the case for this pup. While she said the seal does appear to be slightly underweight, that’s also not too uncommon for seals who have just been weaned after enjoying more consistent meals from their mothers.
MERR will continue to monitor the pup, and this story will be updated as more information is released.
In the meantime, Thurman and her colleagues ask people to continue to keep their distance from the seal. Since the seal is in an area that is welcoming to off-leashed dogs, Thurman said, it’s also especially important that people keep their dogs leashed and even farther from that area.
Remember: Keep your distance
Penalties for harassing a seal to touch them or take their photo range from costly fines to jail time if found guilty. For that reason, the institute warns the public to keep themselves and pets at least 150 feet away from resting seals on land and 300 feet when in the water.
That mandatory distance with seals in the ocean also applies to boats.
“People should never touch a seal try to push it in the water. Please don’t try to feed it, and the best thing to do if you’re in Delaware, is to call the institute and we’ll send our trained responders to see if it needs any kind of intervention like veterinary care,” Thurman said.
As fellow mammals, seals could also transmit illnesses to pets and humans, she also warned.
“While people are excited to get that perfect photo for themselves are a social media post, we ask that they not post a location,” Thurman said. “That’s just a really easy way to protect them from excessive visitation. The sounds of boats and even just the presence of humans is very stressful for them.”
In Delaware, the public can call 302-228-5029 to report a seal that might be in distress.
In Maryland, call the National Aquarium’s stranding hotline at 410-373-0083 or Maryland Natural Resources Police (Maryland Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Program) at 1-800-628-9944. Teams are on call 24/7.
Reporter Kristian Jaime contributed to this story.
Emily Lytle covers Sussex County from the inland towns to the beaches. Got a story she should tell? Contact her at elytle@delmarvanow.com or 302-332-0370. Follow her on Twitter at @emily3lytle.
