Nine seals stranded on Island this month

There’s been three times the number of strandings compared to last year and officials say the reasons are unclear.

Natural resource officials are keeping a close eye on what is believed to be a juvenile gray seal that is seemingly trying to haul itself onto the beach after being found stranded in shallow waters off of Chappaquiddick’s Wasque Reservation this weekend.

The seal — according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — is one of nine other reported seal strandings on Martha’s Vineyard already this month, three times what was documented this time last year.

“We’re seeing a lot of them this month,” NOAA marine mammal stranding coordinator Ainsley Smith told The Times, adding that the cause of the uptick has not been identified. “They may be spreading out, and having their pups on [the Vineyard] now or getting washed over in the storms. . . There’s a lot of different factors at play.” 

Most of the seals reported in the last few weeks were pups (it’s currently pup season), and only one was found already deceased. Last week, a newborn seal, which still had its umbilical cord, was rescued from Edgartown Great Pond by local animal officials and transported to the National Marine Life Center, where it died soon thereafter. 

Following reports of a seal stranded on Chappy on Saturday, NOAA, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head’s ’s marine mammal strandings officials, The Trustees of Reservations and Edgartown’s animal control officer have been working to figure out how to handle what they say might be a neurologically ill seal. 

Officials say the seal has been displaying unusual behavior, such as swimming around in shallow waters and struggling to get onto the beach. 

On Saturday, the Edgartown Fire Department was able to chop up some of the ice that was forming on the beach, in order to give the seal an easier path to solid ground. However, the animal’s assumed illness is also impacting its ability to move back into the water, NOAA says.

Once on the beach, animal rescuers are better equipped to assess the seal’s health and relocate it if possible; however, currently there are no rehabilitation spots available at the marine mammal rehab facilities, marine mammal stranding officers say.

For now, natural resource officials are urging the public to stay back at least 150 feet from the animal to minimize its disturbance. 

If you see a stranded, distressed, or dead marine mammal, contact a local stranding network partner or call NOAA’s stranding hotline at 866-755-6622.