Recently Released Seal Gallery

This male Grey seal pup stranded in Sea Bright on April 22nd. He was very lethargic, and in the process of his spring molt. His  intake weight was 45lbs.

Update 6/1-  Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 74lbs, he was tagged #61 on his left rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.

This male Grey seal pup stranded in Barnegat Light on April 6th. He was suffering from a laceration across his muzzle. His  intake weight was 50lbs.

Update 6/1-  Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 99.6lbs, he was tagged #59 on his left rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.

 On March 30th we received a call for stranded seal in Sea Isle City. The female Grey seal pup was suffering from multiple lacerations on her side, flippers, stomach and head.  She was brought back to the Center for treatment. Her intake weight was 46lbs.

Update 5/11-  Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 95lbs, she was tagged #57 on her right rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.

 On March 25th our Stranding Team responded to a call for a female Grey seal pup in Seaside Park.  She was  suffering from an infected injury to her jaw and was missing some teeth.  The pup was admitted to the MMSC for treatment. Her intake weight was 36lbs.

Update 5/11-  Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 95lbs, she was tagged #57 on her right rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.

 On March 24th we received a call for a male Grey seal pup on the beach in Ocean City.  The seal had a wound under his chin. He was brought back to MMSC for treatment. His intake weight was 44.8lbs.

Update 5/11-  Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 92.4lbs, he was tagged #53 on his left rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.

 On March 21st our Stranding Team responded to a call for a male Grey seal pup on the beach in Loveladies.  The pup was having respiratory issues and had several scrapes on his front flippers. He was brought back to MMSC for treatment. His intake weight was 43.8lbs.

Update 5/5-  Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 90lbs, he was tagged #52 on his left rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.

 On March 20th we received a report of a male Harp seal on the beach in North Wildwood. When our Stranding Team arrived they noticed that the seal, who was otherwise not injured, was eating sand.  Harp seals are an Arctic species at home in the snow. Although seals get most of their hydration through the fish that they eat, this sea ice dwelling species will frequently consume snow and ice for fresh water. When harp seals strand on our beaches they may confuse the sand for snow, causing gastric impaction issues. The seal was brought back to MMSC for treatment to flush the sand out of his system with mineral oil to prevent an impaction. His intake weight was 60lbs.

Update 4/14-  After nearly one month of care at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, he had gained over 10lbs and was ready to be on his own.  He was tagged #50 on his left rear flipper and released back at the Brigantine Natural Area.

On February 27th we responded to a call for an injured seal stranded along the Delaware Bay in Fortescue, Cumberland County. The female Harbor seal had several new and old wounds, including fresh puncture wounds on her stomach. She was brought back to MMSC for treatment. Her intake weight was 45lbs.

Update 4/5-  After nearly six weeks of care at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, she had gained over 20lbs and was ready to be on her own.  She was tagged #48 on her right rear flipper and released at the Brigantine Natural Area.

 This male grey seal pup was discovered on the beach at 48th Street in Avalon on February 1st.  The pup was still covered in his white birthing coat (lanugo), so we are estimating his age to be approximately 4-5 weeks old. His intake weight was 36lbs. 

This little pup likely did not learn how to eat on his own after being weaned from his mother.  Grey seals only nurse for about two weeks, and once weaned they are completely independent. Grey seal pups weigh about 30-35lbs when they are born, and by the time they are weaned they can triple their body weight. The pups will live off of their fat reserves as they learn to hunt for fish on their own. It seems this little one wasn't successfully feeding himself, so he dropped back down to close to birth weight by the time he completed his 400+ mile marathon swim from the pupping grounds in Maine to New Jersey.  

Once the pup arrived at the Center, he was moved into the ICU and given supportive care with fluids and assist-feeding fish. He is being treated for a respiratory infection, and we are happy to share that he is now eating on his own! Over the course of the week, he has shed his white lanugo and is now sporting his black juvenile coat. This little pup will stay with us until he has recovered and gained weight before being released back into the wild. 

Update 3/13- Fully-recovered and weighing a healthy 74.4lbs, he was tagged #45 on his left rear flipper and released at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park.