Mystic Aquarium does a double seal release at the
Charlestown Breachway Beach
It was a gorgeous day at the beach for the release of two
rescued harbor seal pups who were cared for at the Mystic Aquarium’s Marine
Mammal Rescue program. I’ve been to several releases, but this was the first double
release. Plus, at five months old, these were the youngest seals I’ve seen sent
back into the wild.
There was a large and enthusiastic crowd on hand including a
lot of young school kids, many of whom take classes in marine life at the
Aquarium itself. Of course, the kids left after the release was over, to
Planning Commissar Ruth Platner’s great relief.
Hershey leads the way to the water |
Not this time. While Hershey and Brunswick (the names they
were given at Mystic) eagerly left their containers and shimmied down the beach
at a moderate clip, they weren’t really that anxious to leave.
Hershey, the
female, dove right in but stayed close. Brunswick, the male, was not so sure.
Hershey stayed close by and almost seemed to be trying to coax Brunswick into
the water. I think I heard her making the seal equivalent of chicken clucking
sounds (“buk-buk-buk-buk, CHICKEN!).
Brunswick changes his mind ("Do I really hafta go?") |
Finally, Brunswick took the plunge, literally, swam a few
feet out, but then scurried back onto the beach. With Hershey swimming
patiently nearby, and the Mystic volunteers warily watching to see if Brunswick
planned to move into the crowd (a safety no-no), Brunswick went back into the
water.
Hershey stuck around to coax Brunswick back into the water. |
The Mystic staffer nearest me warned members of the crowd that seals do bite and they can carry some nasty diseases on their teeth. That prompted the guy standing next to me to mutter, “The D word – I’m outta here.”
Staying close....hoping for fish? |
The Mystic Marine Animal Rescue program is a truly wonderful
thing. They take injured animals from all over New England and nurse them back
to health using state-of-the-art veterinary science. Once healed and ready to
go back into the wild, they bring the seals to Charlestown for release. Both of
these seals are tagged with electronic monitors so marine scientists can learn
more about their movements in the wild.
They used to use Blue Shutters Beach as the release site,
but for the last several releases, they switched to the state beach at the
Breachway.
To learn more about the Mystic program and to donate, click
here.