Photo Credit: Suzi Eszterhas
By: Sarah Sharkey
Multiple harbor seals have been spotted along the New England shoreline this year.
Although it has been a good year for pups, many have been seen without their mothers. The
New England Aquarium says that it has received several dozen calls in the past several months.
Why are the pups alone? Typically, these pups are born in May and feed by their mothers for
several weeks. The mother harbor seal wean their young relatively soon and usually leave their
pups by the end of the summer. The pups are perfectly capable of looking after themselves at
this point, but they may seem a little bit young to a casual beachgoer.
Most of the pups aren’t quite sure of their environment yet. Since they don’t know the
secluded spots that most older seals use, they can be found lounging in busy beach areas.
So the pups spotted along this beach should be left alone. Do not approach the pup, but if it
looks sick or injured, report it to wildlife officials. It is actually a good thing that people have
been calling in their sightings, even if the pups are okay. It is nice to know that people care
enough to call for help, even if the seals don’t actually need it.
Read more from the source.