Healed seal returned to ocean
Published: March 16, 2005
With temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark along the resort beach Tuesday morning, dozens of onlookers braved the cold and fierce winds to cheer on a young female harbor seal’s return home.
Arriving at Ocean City’s Inlet parking lot from the National Aquarium in Baltimore with a full-scale police escort, the rehabilitated aquatic mammal — named Sand Dollar by local children in a contest — received a hero’s welcome onto the beach.
Ocean City resident John Kelly stood bundled up in a wool hat and winter gloves as he watched the animal’s caretakers move her toward the shoreline.
“I saw it on … the TV while I was watching the news this morning,” he said. “I figured I’ve never seen something like this before, so I came down to watch.”
Ocean City Mayor Jim Mathias helped welcome the throng of visitors and even lent a hand in the removal of the harbor seal’s blue wooden cage after she was set free.
“Ocean City has a great partnership with the National Aquarium and the Marine Animal Rescue team,” Mathias said. “This is evidence of us working together. It’s a monumental occasion.”
After being fitted with a satellite tag that will allow aquarium staff to track her progress during the next few months, the animal looked curiously from side to side at the people who had gathered on the sand to watch the release — the first ever conducted in local waters.
With minimal coaxing from caretakers, Sand Dollar quickly made her way toward the surf, flopping across the sand as she went. The crowd, standing behind yellow police tape 50 feet from the release point, cheered as she bobbed her small body under the water and moved further into the ocean — and eventually out of sight.
“I think it’s fabulous that they can help get the animal back into the wild,” Ocean City resident Nancy Smith said.
It had been exactly two months to the day since the harbor seal — weighing only 45 pounds at the time — was rescued. Virginia officials say they found her malnourished, dehydrated and with trauma to the left side of her head after she stranded herself along the Virginia Beach coast.
The animal was transported to the National Aquarium in Baltimore a month later to complete her rehabilitation. After doubling her weight and successfully hunting live fish, the staff felt it was time to send her back into the wild.
Aquarium spokeswoman Jenny Fiegl said instead of being transported further up the East Coast to be released in colder waters, as is typically done, Ocean City appeared to be the right spot for the return of Sand Dollar.
According to Fiegl, seals are regular visitors to the Delmarva Peninsula waters during the winter season.
“She was stranded near here, so it makes sense to release them to where they’re from,” she said.
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