In the cool waters around Phippsburg, Maine, harbor seals can often be spotted basking on rocks or swimming through their ocean home. But recently, area residents noticed a small seal doing something troubling. He was suckling on a boat propeller, as if mistaking the object for his mother.
“[He] would swim away and come back, crying out, searching for Mom,” Marine Mammals of Maine executive director Lynda Doughty told The Dodo. “He was cold and shivery.”
Concerned residents got in touch with Marine Mammals of Maine, who sent rescuers to the scene right away. Team members found the emaciated orphan collapsed on a pile of seaweed. They looked for the pup’s mom, but couldn’t find her anywhere. He clearly needed help.
Animal experts examined the pup and predicted he was about 3 days old. They took him back to their rescue center, where they administered fluids and formula, mimicking what his mom would’ve done in the wild.
“Once he had nourishment, he slept a lot,” Doughty said.
Weeks went by, and the seal began eating fish and gaining weight. He enjoyed interacting with the other rescue seals, exploring the center and playing with the fake seaweed in his enclosure.
Soon enough, the seal was ready to return home. Rescuers released him back into the Maine waters and watched in awe as he gratefully swam away into the waves.
Doughty hopes this story encourages community members to look out for local seals and keep a safe distance if they spot one in the wild.
“Please give seals their space and share the shore,” Doughty said. “They were here before us!”
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