MYSTIC, Conn. — The Mystic Aquarium took in a "severely dehydrated, underweight" seal from the banks of the Providence River for treatment, according to a spokesperson Tuesday.
Mystic Aquarium's Animal Rescue Program, or ARP, had been monitoring the one-year-old female hooded seal since it was reported in Watch Hill, R.I. on Aug. 29, the spokesperson said. The seal, often found in Arctic and North Atlantic waters, was seen multiple times in Westerly, R.I. and Providence, R.I.
Onlookers spotted the seal along the riverbanks Friday, allegedly ignoring warnings to keep their distance. They began harassing and attempting to interact with it. The spokesperson said this prompted the seal to "exhibit stress-related behaviors, such as ingesting rocks and gravel."
According to the spokesperson, hooded seals normally feed on ice and snow in their Arctic habitat, and when distressed, "they often ingest the substrate they find in their environment - in this case, rocks and shells from the shores of New England."
The ARP brought the seal to the aquarium for medical treatment and rehabilitation, the spokesperson said. They are working on rehydrating and helping it to gain back its weight.
The seal weighed 30 pounds less than the normal weight for its age of 100 pounds, according to the spokesperson.
"This is an Arctic species, not adapted to the heat and human interaction here in New England,” Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program Manager Sarah Callan said. “The seal has started to pass some gravel naturally, but surgery may be necessary if the rocks cannot be expelled on their own."
The spokesperson noted that the last reported hooded seal rescue was in 2013 and that the appearance of this seal in New England may be related to "changing ocean currents or other environmental factors" that impact its migration patterns.
“This species is rarely seen so far south of its natural habitat,” Callan said. “Although we never want to have to bring an animal in for rehabilitation, we are presented with a unique opportunity to learn as much as we can about this species while she is with us and get her back to her ocean home as soon as possible.”
The ARP aims to tag the seal with a satellite tracker if it improves and monitor its journey to colder waters.
People are asked to keep their distance around marine animals such as seals, as touching or disturbing them is a violation of federal law, the spokesperson said.
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