DELMARVA - The Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute (MERR) had a busy holiday weekend with their volunteers responding to five separate seals in one day.
The MERR Institute says they were called to five different beaches on Saturday, April 19, for separate seals found ashore. Of the five were three grey seal pups, one adult grey seal, and a yearling harp seal, according to the MERR Institute.
MERR says two of the grey seal pups temporarily rested on the shore before returning to the water. The third grey seal pup came ashore at a busy beach at Sea Colony near Bethany Beach. MERR says the young seal was relocated to a quieter beach to rest before she too returned to the sea.
“We want to applaud the residents of Sea Colony, as well as the security team, who were all very respectful of this resting seal and did their part to learn about her from our volunteers, while also giving her the space that she needed to sleep,” MERR said in a social media post on Monday.
MERR said they had also been watching over an older adult grey seal they named Leo. Leo was seen out of the water several times over the past week, according to MERR, but finally passed away peacefully on the southside of the Indian River Inlet. MERR says adult male grey seals coming ashore at the end of their lifespans has become a recurring annual event. MERR says they keep the dying male seals safe but do not attempt to move the massive animals so as not to cause needless stress or fear at the end of their life.
The fifth and final seal, a harp seal, was spotted on the docks in Rehoboth Bay.
“Our volunteers selflessly brave harsh temperatures, and generously give their time, even on holiday weekends, to watch over these amazing animals to keep them safe so that they can get the critical rest that they need to survive,” the MERR institute said.