2008

On January 29, this juvenile gray seal was found with white twine rope caught around his neck. © IFAW/CSSN

CCSN staff treat the seal by removing the twine and assess the seal's overall health. © IFAW/CSSN

After being given a clean bill of health, the seal is tagged and released! © IFAW/CSSN

January/February

We had our first mass stranding of the season on January 15th in Wellfleet (at Loagy Bay and Herring River).  There were 17 Atlantic white-sided dolphins that stranded, all but three of which had already died when they were reported.  Of those three live animals, two died before staff arrived on scene and the third had to be euthanized due to his extremely poor health condition.  Then, on January 23rd, we received a report of 15-20 dolphins swimming just outside the breakwater in Wellfleet Harbor and headed out to try and herd them to safer waters. Fortunately for the dolphins, they made it out of the harbor on their own before we arrived on scene! 
 
Ice seals have also arrived in the area.  Despite a poor ice year off Canada last winter, we are seeing these critters on many of the Cape beaches now.  We picked up the first harp seal of the season on Saturday, January 26th at Crosby Beach in Brewster.  He had wounds to his head and back and after being stabilized overnight, he was transported up to the University of New England for rehabilitation on Sunday.  

The CCSN team also disentangled a juvenile gray seal on Dowses Beach in Osterville on Tuesday, January 29th.  The little male seal still had some of his lanugo coat (white fluffy birth coat) and was in great body condition, but had managed to get a piece of white twine rope caught around his neck.  After being disentangled, examined, and given a clean bill of health, the seal was tagged and released back into the water. See photos.