What If You See a Seal?

by Pam Murphy

Have you noticed seals lying around on the beach? Do you know what to do if you see one? Are they ok? Should I pour water on him? Shoo him back into the ocean? Get up close and see if he’s breathing? Take a selfie with him because I can? None of the above! The answer is stay back 150 feet and call the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket Hotline (833-667-6626). Their trained volunteers will advise you, ask for observations and then send a teammate out to check.

Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket (MMAN) is a local non profit, permitted by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to protect and rescue all marine mammals around Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 makes it illegal for anyone else to approach seals, whales, dolphins, and other marine animals. Before that, seals were killed indiscriminately by people acting under the false premise that they were hampering the fishing industry. People could present a seal snout and earn $5. Populations declined drastically and the natural balance of the ocean ecosystem was compromised. So the MMPA was born, and it has taken all these many years to get populations back to historic levels.

Gray seals, or Halichoerus grypus, which means “hooked nose pig of the sea,” are part of the “true” seal family, and the ones most often seen on Nantucket. All true seals have short flippers and no external ear flaps. Many Gray Seals are seen around Nantucket in winter when they are having their pups, through the spring molt. Males can be as large as 880 lbs and females 550 lb. Moms have one pup on the beach after 11 months gestation and will nurse him for three weeks. Once weaned, the pups lose their cozy white lanugo coat and have to learn to swim and fish on their own. It’s a risky business, and up to 50% don’t survive. Since Nantucket beaches are accessible to vehicles, the MMAN team does their best to protect pups from vehicle traffic using signs and orange cones and making sure they are not abandoned by mom during that crucial nursing time. Too much human interaction will cause mom to not come back.

Once the pups are fattened up on rich mother’s milk, they are on their own and must hone their swimming and hunting skills. These juveniles will get themcontinued on page 24