LEWES, Del. - Another seal washed up on the shores of Cape Henlopen State Park on Tuesday, at a time of year where we start to see the number of seals in our area winding down.
Joshua Walls from Beyond the Walls Photography sent photos in to WRDE. He said in his message, he thought people were getting a little too close to the seal. WRDE reached out to the MERR Institute on Tuesday, but they were not available for comment.
WRDE is also keeping up with Eloise and Stuart Little, the National Aquarium’s first rescued seals of 2021. Eloise was also found in Cape Henlopen, and Stuart Little was found in Ocean City. Eloise, formerly named Cupid, was sent to Baltimore for rehabilitation.
National Aquarium
“Eloise is doing wonderfully. She is kind of in the final phases of her rehabilitation where she's been approved by her veterinarians so we can apply to NOAA, the federal government, for release for her back to the wild. So, we're expecting to be able to do that the the coming weeks,” said Kate Shaffer, Rehabilitation Manager at the National Aquarium.
Shaffer says Eloise will probably be released at the Maryland coast when the time comes. Stuart Little had a parasitic infection and dehydration when he arrived in Baltimore.
“Stuart Little is doing really well and recovering from his ailments. He's been treated for that parasitic infection, which is something that was really kind of bogging him down. He's eating really well acting like a normal seal and we will be re-testing his bloodwork soon to see where he stands on that account,” said Shaffer.
Stuart Little is not strong enough to return to the wild yet.
If you come across a seal on any of the Delaware beaches, do not approach the animal, stay far back, and immediately call the MERR Institute stranding line at (302)228-5029.