Rescued Cape Henlopen seal is among several recently reported

The team at the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute in Lewes has responded to a flurry of reports about very young seal pups in the last few days. Many of them are still cloaked in lanugo, the fluffy white coat pups have while they are still nursing from their mothers. This fur signifies that they are too young to forage for food independently.

MERR has been rescuing these pups so they can receive adequate hydration and nutritional support until they are old enough to feed on their own. The seals will also receive a complete examination to determine any underlying conditions that might affect their health. Seal pups are vulnerable to attacks from adult males in the colony, so bite wounds and other ailments that can lead to infection can occur.


Seal pupping in Delaware is a fairly recent occurrence, and it may be the result of the developing seal colony in the waters off Lewes. MERR does not typically respond to calls concerning pups on the beach until they are older and have been weaned, so this spike of dependent pup strandings in the last few days is unusual.

“The cause may be linked to the flood tides during the past week, which could have washed the pups off of the rocks and into the bay and ocean,” said MERR Executive Director Suzanne Thurman.


The most recent rescue was this past Saturday, Feb. 10, at Cape Henlopen State Park near the Point. The young female gray seal MERR rescued was a dependent pup brought in for triage and assessment. She was transported to the National Aquarium in Baltimore for further rehabilitation and hopefully, later release.

Anyone who encounters a seal resting on the beach or elsewhere should call MERR immediately at 302-228-5029, and keep a distance of at least 150 feet from the animal. Dogs should be kept on a leash for the well-being of both the seal and the dog. Seals spend about half their lives on land and will often exit the water to sleep. This rest is integral to their survival, regardless of their age, as females will often go for weeks without consuming food while they are nursing. Approaching seals closely not only frightens them but adds stress and may cause them to retreat into the water without the necessary rest.

The most common seals on Delaware beaches are gray and harbor seals. Gray seals can make low-frequency growls and clicks as well as throaty sounds, and can make motions with their front flippers, whereas harbor seals will bark, grunt, growl or moan and make similar flipper gestures. Any exhibit of this behavior from a seal means it is feeling threatened or stressed and is therefore unable to sleep. MERR appreciates everyone’s help in keeping these seals safe.

For more information on seals or any other marine mammal or sea turtle that frequents Delaware waters, or for general information about MERR Institute, visit merrinstitute.org.