Rescue and Release Videos

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When our Stranding Team needs to relocate a seal due to disturbance, or to quickly examine a seal on the beach to determine if a wound needs medical care, we mark them so we know they have been assessed by our staff to be healthy. Each seal will have a specific number written on their head or back with a non-toxic livestock marker in a bright pigment that fades in a few weeks.  If the same seal shows up on another beach, the number lets us know that we have already checked on that animal. 

After spending six weeks in our hospital recovering from malnutrition, Grey seal #26-008 (Ocean City) was ready to return to the wild. In addition to her numbered flipper tag,  we were able to satellite and acoustic tag her as well. This project will enable us to conduct post rehabilitation monitoring of this former patient, with the tags  providing movement, dive and haul out data.  For more information on this project, please visit the link below.

On Tuesday February 24th the Marine Mammal Stranding Center received a call from the Harvey Cedars Police Department that a seal was found in the middle of Long Beach Blvd. The police officer and Harvey Cedars DPW blocked traffic as the seal made her way to Middlesex Ave. where they closed the road as she napped in the middle of the block. MMSC's Stranding Team arrived to collect the female Grey seal pup and transport her to MMSC's hospital for a medical evaluation. 

This little Grey seal wandered up a beach path and took a quick tour of Long Beach Blvd. before settling down for a nap in the middle of Middlesex Ave. in Harvey Cedars.  

Learn more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Center and our life saving work for stranded marine mammals and sea turtles in New Jersey. 

MMSC's Stranding Team rescued a Loggerhead sea turtle found stranded in the cooling canal of a power plant. After passing a medical assessment, watch as the juvenile sea turtle is tagged and released back into the wild.

On March 21st we relocated a female Grey seal pup from a busy beach in Stone Harbor.  Less than 24 hours after being released in Brigantine, New Jersey, this spunky little Grey seal was spotted over 70 miles away in Delaware!  

On March 15th we received an urgent call reporting an entangled seal in Seaside Park.  The Stranding Technician immediately transported the seal to MMSC where the line was removed.   Fortunately the line had not yet cut into her skin and she was not in need of further medical care, so she was able to be returned to the wild.

After seven weeks of care at MMSC, Grey seals #24-011 (Brigantine) & 24-012 (Beach Haven) were released back into the wild live on NBC's Today Show! In typical Grey seal fashion, the duo took their time on the beach and made sure to get their full 15 minutes of fame before returning home to the ocean. Safe travels, pups! 

Watch as our Stranding Team faces another challenging rescue operation to free a Grey seal trapped inside a jetty.

Watch as our Stranding Team works to free a Grey seal trapped inside a jetty, brings her back to MMSC for an evaluation,  and returns her back to the wild.

Grey seal #23-079 stranded underneath Casino Pier, very lethargic and suffering from a swollen flipper and alopecia. Watch as our Stranding Team crawls under the pier to safely capture the seal to bring to MMSC for treatment.