Ares gets nice send off

Mystic Aquarium returns rescued seal to the ocean
By Will Collette
Ares, the four-month old harbor seal, received a nice bon voyage party as he was released into the ocean at Blue Shutters Beach this morning.


A pleasant crowd that included lots of cute little kids watched as the crew from the Aquarium's Marine Animal Rescue program released Ares who seemed more than eager to go home. He waddled down the slope of the beach and dove right into the surf. He swam close to the beach for a few minutes before heading out to sea. I could swear he was looking north, toward Maine, where he was found abandoned near Wells Beach as a tiny pup last July.


Before Ares was brought out, the children from the Mystic Sea School got a little classroom on the beach as teaching staff explained all about how injured and abandoned animals get rescued, rehabilitated and then released into their natural habitat.

Mystic operates a 24/7 rescue program and asks you do to the following if you encounter a stranded marine animal:

Call the Aquarium's 24-hour Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline at 860.572.5955 ext.107. Leave your name, a phone number where you can be reached and the location of the animal.

• Do not touch the animal. All marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This law makes it illegal to touch, disturb, feed or otherwise harass marine mammals without authorization.
• A beached whale, dolphin or porpoise should be reported immediately and left alone pending further instruction.
• Give the animal plenty of space. Crowding stresses the animal and may cause it to act aggressively.
• Keep pets away from the stranded animal. Not only can they bite and cause injury to the stranded animal, but they may be injured by it. Diseases can also be transmitted between stranded animals and pets.
• Do not pour water on a seal, feed it, cover it or attempt to move it into the water. It is normal for seals to come ashore to rest.



Teacher explains to the kids what is going to happen to Ares

• Be observant. Take note of any obvious signs of injury, the overall body condition of the animal (is it robust or thin?), identification tags, the presence of other animals (especially important with dolphins), the sea state and recognizable landmarks that will make it possible to locate the animal.