A four week old gray seal pup appeared on the Coral Avenue beach the Thursday morning before Easter. After a call to The Marine Mammal Stranding Center a volunteer arrived to monitor and assess the condition of the pup.
Our seal was a male, about 4 weeks old and in good enough condition. It is apparently common for seals to come on land for up to 48 hours and then go back, to cycle 48 hours out, 24 hours in the water, and then back on land. Grey seal mothers turn their pups loose around 3 to 4 weeks of age.
Gray Seals can be quite vicious (although at four weeks all this one could come up with was a “hissy growl”) but more importantly they can be carriers of many serious strains of bacteria that can harm people if bitten. Of course, no one should ever touch a seal and the recommended distance to a seal should be 150 yards away (yes, yards!).
The Stranding Center asked for photos showing some abrasions on his mouth and back and reported back again that he was in good condition. The monitoring was done on and off throughout his stay and was specific enough that we learned the last food he had eaten was probably a squid!
He stayed for a full 48 hours and then went out, and with luck, he will be living “happily ever after for about 30 years. ”
The stranding center welcomes calls about stranded marine mammals. As one of the premier centers in the country and with such a long New Jersey coastline to monitor, donations to the center are very welcome: http://www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org/
