Stranded at the Jersey Shore

My friend Rita and I had a delightful day at Point Pleasant Beach on Monday. Sun was shining, inland temps in the 70's and on the beach, a brisk chilly wind blowing off the 47 degree ocean water, making it definitely "cooler at the shore."  And the highlight of the day .....an unexpected encounter with a seal.

No, there wasn't a big crowd for the stranded baby seal and no one called out "Is anyone here a marine biologist?" a la Seinfeld.  No George Costanzas had to roll up their pants and plunge into the surf.

George wading in to rescue the whale on Seinfeld
(check out episode 14  The Marine Biologist from 1994-one of the funniest! )

The seal pup had been lying on the beach for the last two days with some bite marks, according to one spectator, although Jenkinson's Aquarium experts had inspected the seal and declared he was simply resting. By the time we chanced by, a call to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine had already brought an efficient young woman who was scooping up the seal in a net and maneuvering it into a portable carrier. A local man assisted her, carrying the crate to the waiting van, where she added ice around the seal to prevent further dehydration. 

The seal would be treated at the rescue center in Brigantine before being released back to the ocean. The Center claims to have an 88% rehabilitation success rate. Here are some pix from their website:

Using the flexible net 

Back at the rescue center

another harbor seal being released after successful rehab

back in the ocean!

Harbor seals and gray seals follow sage senior citizen advice, migrating southward in winter and returning to the north in spring in time for pupping (birthing) season off the coast of Maine and Eastern Canada. 


I had no idea that seals often wash up on Jersey beaches in the winter and in increasing numbers in recent years.  According to The Star Ledger, "There have been 26 seal strandings in New Jersey since November. Fourteen of those strandings happened in February." 


Seals are sometimes injured or sick or may just stop for a rest on their long journey. They travel alone or in a loosely defined group, widely spaced in order to have their own territory for feeding on fish, squid and mollusks, so it's not surprising that some lose their way and land on the shore.  No need to worry that Mama Seal is crying and wondering where her wayward juvenile is--humans should be so lucky!