Paul Schiller of Old Lyme spotted this handsome seal basking in the sun at Point o’ Woods on Valentine’s Day. He wisely reported the sighting to the animal rescue team at Mystic Aquarium.
Schiller writes in a Facebook post that the aquarium team identified it as a harp seal.
An article published Feb. 11 in The Day by Lindsay Boyle quoted Mystic Aquarium spokesman Dale Wolbrink, who “said that the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Team has responded to three other harp seal sightings in the region since Feb. 1: one on Eastern Point Beach in Groton, one in Niantic and one on Greens Harbor Beach in New London.
All three seals swam back into the water and were deemed healthy, Wolbrink said.”
Schiller’s most recent Facebook post gives this update, “The aquarium staff checked yesterday [Friday, Feb. 15] morning and the seal was already gone. He was likely resting and then returned to the water.”
The article in The Day also gave the following important information, “Wolbrink encouraged residents who encounter seals to call Mystic Aquarium’s 24-hour hotline at (860) 572-5955, ext. 107.
Mystic Aquarium is the only agency authorized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to handle seals in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Fishers Island, N.Y., Wolbrink said.
He offered the following advice:
- Give seals plenty of space.
- Keep pets away from seals.
- Do not pour water on, feed or otherwise attempt to help seals.
- Take note of whether the seal has physical signs of injury or distress, such as eating sand.“