A baby seal — had it not been spotted by a passerby — might have met a dire fate.
But at Odiorne Point State Park in Hampshire recently, an individual spotted a small gray seal lodged in a deep gap between rocks near the water — and alerted authorities about it, as SWNS reported.
The person reached out to the Seacoast Science Center (SCC), which is based in Rye, New Hampshire.
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In a dramatic video, the scared pup can be seen staring up from its position at SCC staff and rescuers on March 13, 2024. (SEE the video at the top of this video.)
Members of the group toiled to free the animal and pull it up to safety.
This baby seal was trapped between rocks at Odiorne Point State Park in New Hampshire. A passerby spotted the young seal sitting in a deep gap between rocks. The Seacoast Science Center wrote on Facebook, “Our best guess is that during the recent elevated high tides, the seal got stuck and when the water receded it couldn’t climb out.” (SWNS)
Sharing the details on its Facebook page, the organization said, “Our best guess is that during the recent elevated high tides, the seal got stuck and when the water receded it couldn’t climb out.”
The group added, “After an initial attempt to pull her out using a net and blanket, we learned her flippers were wedged under the rocks.”
During rescue efforts, team members had to avoid the young seal’s snapping jaw and teeth.
So, “after some manipulation while avoiding her snapping jaw and teeth, the team was able to shift her into a spot and slide the blanket under her body.”
The group took the seal in for treatment.
Staff and rescuers from the Seacoast Science Center (SCC) are shown pulling the seal to safety at Odiorne Point State Park in New Hampshire. (SWNS)
Ultimately, the team was able to release [the young seal] with a “tag for safekeeping.”
The SCC added, “Overall she was in good health, and it was determined that the best course of action was to release her.”
In details shared with Fox News Digital on Wednesday morning, the organization said via email, “After allowing the seal to recover from its extraction, our team conducted a full assessment of the animal, administered fluids for dehydration, along with electrolytes and a glucose supplement, and released the seal back into the wild.”
“Busy conditions in the field continue for our team, especially with responses to newly weaned gray seal pups!”
On the Facebook page, the group also wrote, “No new sightings from her yet!”
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The Seacoast Science Center’s mission is to “spark curiosity, enhance understanding, and inspire conservation” efforts.
On its Facebook page, the group noted as well, “Busy conditions in the field continue for our team, especially with responses to newly weaned gray seal pups!”
The seal was given medical treatment and then released back into the wild. “Overall she was in good health, and it was determined that the best course of action was to release her,” said the SCC. (SWNS)
It continued, “Pups are born [from] December [through] February and are dependent on their mothers for only 21 to 28 days, after which gray seal pups wean and become completely independent.”
So at this time of year, it also said, “it’s normal for them to be seen on the beach alone and it’s also not uncommon for them to be on the thin side.”
“When extreme high tides occur … these young seals can sometimes be found in strange locations.”
The SCC added, “As they figure out navigating life on their own in the big blue ocean and hunt for their own food, they can tire quickly and come ashore to rest. This is especially true in the wake of high wind and surf conditions — which we have had plenty of in the last couple of weeks!”
It then included a number of photos of the gray seal pups it helped over the past two weeks.
“When extreme high tides occur during this time, these young seals can sometimes be found in strange locations, which you’ll see in these photos!” the group added.
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Wrote one commenter to the group on social media, “Such an amazing rescue! Thank you for your compassion and commitment to these seals.”
On its YouTube channel, SCC included the full story of the seal pup’s release, along with this note: “We will monitor the area over the next few days, in case she comes ashore again; and ask that if you see a seal, please remain at least 150 ft away and call our hotline at 603-997-9448 to report. Thank you to [the] person who called us to report this seal so we could assist in getting her unstuck! We appreciate the support.”
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It also noted, “SSC Marine Mammal Rescue responds to all reports of marine mammals on the shore in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts … Marine mammals, including seals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted by the federal government on Oct. 21, 1972.”
Brittany Kasko of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
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