SUSSEX CO., DE - The MERR Institute says a young grey seal that was rescued on Thursday was successfully transported to the National Marine Life Center on Cape Cod for rehabilitation. The seal was initially found with a number of parasites and mildly dehydrated. 

On Thursday, April 10th, the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute in Lewes rescued a young grey seal that was found on Gordon’s Pond/North Shores in Rehoboth Beach. The MERR Institute said the seal "seemed to be in relatively good condition but was exhibiting labored breathing". After a check-up at their triage, wildlife officials found that he had a number of parasites and was mildly dehydrated. 

The young seal was successfully transported to the National Marine Life Center on Cape Cod for rehabilitation on Saturday night.

In the tradition of the MERR Institute's naming convention of constellations, the seal pup was named after the shield constellation, "Scutum". They say they chose the name because Scutum the seal “scooted all over the beach, and continued to consistently scoot backwards during all of his examinations and treatments."

Sam joined the WBOC team in January 2024 as a News Producer. She graduated from the University of Delaware in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Communication. Before working at WBOC, Sam worked for Hens All-Access in the University of Delaware’s Athletics Department. She also interned for the Delmarva Sports Network in 2022. 

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