As seal populations in the mid-Atlantic region increase, the Aquarium's Animal Care and Rescue Center is at capacity treating juvenile seals for a variety of injuries and conditions
Since late February, the National Aquarium's Animal Rescue team and its partners on the Delmarva coast have been busy with near-constant sightings of harp and grey seals hauling out (or stranding) on area beaches, signaling the busiest local seal rescue season since 2019. As of Friday, March 14, there are four seal pups receiving rehabilitative care at the Animal Care and Rescue Center (ACRC) on Fayette Street in Baltimore, where three of the four have arrived one at a time after transport from the Aquarium's triage center in Ocean City over the past several weeks, the fourth arriving directly from the beach. Four seals sharing the seal rehab suites in the ACRC puts the rehab space at capacity.
All four of the recently rescued seals are young pups or weanlings recently separated from their mothers. Animals in this age range are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and dehydration as well as threats from other animals and a range of injuries and infections. Teaching these pups to forage for food and eat independently will be a primary focus for the Aquarium's Animal Health and Rescue teams while each seal also receives fluids, antibiotics, pain management and round-the-clock care specific to their needs.
Each year, the National Aquarium selects a naming theme for the rescued turtles and seals that move through its treatment system. In keeping with this year's theme of Baltimore City neighborhoods as an homage to its hometown, the seals currently in the Aquarium's care are:
"Woodberry" is a male, weanling grey seal pup rescued by the Aquarium's partners with the Marine Education, Rescue & Rehabilitation Institute (MERR) on February 25, and transferred immediately to the ACRC in Baltimore after about 24 hours of observation on the beach in Fenwick, Delaware. At the time of his rescue, Woodberry was found to be malnourished and displayed infected puncture wounds, possibly from an interaction with a larger animal. As of March 8, Woodberry is now eating independently and swimming in the rehabilitation pool, and his condition is improving.
"Evergreen" is another male, weanling grey seal pup who arrived at the ACRC on March 10 after stabilizing at the National Aquarium's Stranding Response Center in Ocean City overnight. Evergreen was collected by MERR from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware on March 9 due to puncture wounds that appear to be an impact of an interaction with a shark and is receiving antibiotics and pain medication. Evergreen is not yet able to eat independently and is currently recovering in a "dry dock" (on land) while his wounds heal.
"Waverly" is a female, weanling grey seal collected by MERR immediately upon encounter on March 10 in Dewey Beach, Delaware, exhibiting infected puncture wounds and a lacerated hind flipper from an unknown incident. After 72 hours of stabilizing care at the Stranding Response Center in Ocean City, Waverly arrived at the ACRC on March 13 where she is now eating independently.
"Arcadia" is a maternally dependent female grey seal found stranded in Ocean City on March 13. Found emaciated with evidence of an infected puncture wound, an eye infection and oral trauma, she spent the night in triage care at the Stranding Response Center before arriving at the ACRC on Friday, March 14 where her condition is not yet considered stable. She is receiving antibiotics, fluids and pain management medication. Animals who are still maternally dependent are typically less than four weeks old and must receive nutrition via an orogastric tube.
During this exceptionally busy two-week period, the National Aquarium Animal Rescue team also encountered a geriatric adult male harp seal who, after 48 hours of observation by MERR, expired naturally during his intake examination at the ACRC, as well as a female juvenile grey seal who passed after being found entangled in a fishing net on Assateague Island, and a dolphin spotted near 40th Street in Ocean City that did not survive to receive treatment.
As they recover and grow, each animal currently in the care of the Animal Health and Rescue teams will eventually be assessed by Aquarium staff and hopefully cleared for release back to the ocean by our partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as soon as possible so that their natural foraging instincts stay intact. In order to be considered eligible for release, each seal must weigh in at about 25 kg and have recovered from any injuries and infections, which, in the case of animals this size and age, generally means a minimum of five weeks in rehabilitation.
NOAA plays a crucial role in overseeing the Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network, which helps coordinate emergency response and data collection with partners like the National Aquarium.
The increased seal rescue activity in our region over the past several years can be attributed to the natural establishment of a rookery (or colony) of harbor and grey seals off the coast of Cape Henlopen. Despite the onslaught of cases requiring treatment each year, the National Aquarium Animal Rescue program relies on funding from private philanthropic partners and coordination from NOAA to effectively respond to the increasing number of seal strandings.
The Aquarium has occasionally benefitted from funding through NOAA's John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program to support seal stranding response and rehabilitation. Funding for this grant program is vital for the research and recovery of stranded marine mammals in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. National Aquarium seal stranding and response activities are conducted under NOAA permit 18786-04.
While the health and recovery of the animals in rehabilitative care is of the utmost priority, limited media opportunities to visit the National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center and speak with staff may be available with prior agreement.
