2003 Marine Mammal Stranding Responses

Seals

The winter of 2003 started off very slow for marine mammal strandings. It wasn't until February that we started to receive calls about seals on the beaches of Boston's North Shore (see data below). Most of these winter reports were of harp seals, 'ice' seals that travel down from eastern Canada during the cold winter months. We usually see young (approximately one year old) harp seals, called 'beaters,' whose fur is light tan with dark splotches over the entire body. Except for their coat pattern, harp seals look very similar to harbor seals, which are in Massachusetts year round. Harp seals haul out on beaches, on ice and snow, or even on floating docks (see image).

Throughout the spring, we continued to receive numerous reports of seals, including harp, harbor, gray, and hooded seals. Ice seals (harp and hooded) only stay in the area until the early spring and then travel north to Canada for the warmer months. After the ice seals moved out of our area, the majority of the reports through the summer were of harbor seals.

Whales and Dolphins

Throughout all of 2003, we had numerous whale and dolphin strandings, including a common dolphin, three Atlantic white-sided dolphins, two harbor porpoise, four minke whales, and a pilot whale. This was our busiest season for whale and dolphin strandings in recent years.

Interesting Cases from 2003

Harp Seal (February 28th, 2003)

The Whale Center received a report of a seal near East Main St. in Gloucester, MA. Staff scientist Cara Pekarcik responded and found a one year old harp seal resting on ice. It looked fairly healthy, with good seal "posture," which means that it was lying on its side, with its head and rear flippers lifted off the ice. We monitored the seal's health for the next two days, until it finally returned to the water on it's own on 3/2/03. It is not unusual for harp seals, when they find a good spot on ice or snow to rest, to remain in the same location out of the water for up to several days.

Common Dolphin (March 4th, 2003)

We received a report of a dolphin swimming near Front Beach in Rockport, MA. Allison Glass and other Whale Center staff responded to the call and found a common dolphin in very shallow water near shore. It was swimming in circles, listing to its left side and had some blood around its mouth. Common dolphins are usually found far offshore, in deeper waters off the continental shelf. They are very social and form groups, called pods, of up to hundreds of dolphins at a time. The fact that this animal was alone, far inshore of its normal habitat and acting oddly was very alarming.

We observed the dolphin for approximately an hour as it swam around the harbor; it finally moved into very shallow water and died. Although this case ended sadly, we collected the specimen and brought it to the New England Aquarium in the hope that further research will determine why it died. We always try to learn as much as possible from every incident, in order to gain understanding of these species and the possible threats they face in their environment.

Harp Seal (March 21st, 2003)

When we arrived on scene of this report of a harp seal at Salem Willows in Salem, MA, we found a one year-old animal inside a plastic fish box. Concerned for the seal's welfare, three people on the beach had captured the seal and placed it in the box and tried to keep it wet with a sponge. Although we are always grateful for people who are interested and concerned about wildlife, handling wild seals is dangerous for people, as well as very stressful to the animals. The best thing to do when a seal is on the beach is to give it some space, try to keep quiet, and allow the animal to rest. Trained responders, such as Whale Center staff, can evaluate the health of these seals, which may simply be healthy animals on shore to rest. We transferred the harp seal into a pet carrier and brought it down to the New England Aquarium for evaluation and treatment. It was later brought to the Marine Animal Lifeline in Maine, where it was rehabilitated and then released.

Hooded Seal (April 2nd, 2003)

We received a report of a seal on Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA. When Whale Center staff responded to the report, we found a young (about one year old) hooded seal. Hooded seals in this stage are called "blue-backs," because they are tan on the underside and dark gray on the topside. This was the only hooded seal reported to the Whale Center in 2003. Hooded seals, like harp seals, are considered "ice" seals; they travel to New England from Canada during the winter months. This hooded seal was apparently just on shore to rest, because it later returned to the water on its own.

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (April 15th, 2003)

Mason Weinrich and Kate Sardi responded to a report of a stranded harbor porpoise in Lynn, MA. When we arrived on scene, it turned out to be a small Atlantic white-sided dolphin. White-sided dolphins are the most commonly sighted dolphin species in the New England area. They form large groups called "pods," and can be found in coastal or offshore waters throughout the year. This dolphin was very thin and clearly needed medical attention. We provided care for the animal, such as minimizing surrounding noise, keeping the skin wet, and holding the dolphin's nostril above water to allow clear breathing. We eventually transported the dolphin in the Whale Center truck to the New England Aquarium. The veterinarian staff at the Aquarium conducted blood work and determined that the dolphin was too sick to recover, so it was euthanized to save it from suffering.

Grey Seal (April 22nd, 2003)

We responded to a report of a seal on Pebble Beach in Rockport, MA. It turned out to be a grey seal! This was the first grey seal reported on Cape Ann in over five years. Grey seals are year-round residents of New England, but they are typically seen near Chatham (on Cape Cod) or in Maine. This grey seal was a juvenile, most likely only four or five months old. It stayed on the beach for two days, but finally returned to the water on its own.

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (May 4th, 2003)

The Whale Center received a report of an Atlantic white-sided dolphin washed up on Crane's Beach in Ipswich, MA. We rarely find live stranded dolphins in our area and the fact that this dolphin was the second in a month's time was very alarming. Cara Pekarcik and Mason Weinrich from the Whale Center provided care for the dolphin on the beach until New England Aquarium staff arrived. Once Aquarium veterinary staff evaluated the animal, they determined that the dolphin was too sick to recover. It was euthanized to stop its suffering.

Minke Whale (May 13th, 2003)

The Whale Center received a report of a whale on Bass Rocks in Gloucester, MA. We responded and found a 24 foot long female minke whale. It had linear scars on its back, coming from its mouth, across its head, and around the base of its tail. These scars appeared to have been caused by a wrap in some sort of line, such as fishing line. Due to the slippery conditions where the whale washed up, we decided to have the whale towed to a more suitable location. The Gloucester Harbormaster provided invaluable assistance by towing it to Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, where Whale Center and New England Aquarium staff performed a necropsy.

Harbor Seal (July 12th, 2003)

Kate Sardi received a report of a seal at the Coast Guard Station in Gloucester, MA. When she arrived, she found the animal inside a cooler, where concerned people had put it after sighting it lying on coastal rocks. While we always appreciate reports of seals and people that are interested in helping marine life, seals that are lying on rocks or beaches could easily be perfectly healthy and simply resting on shore. Harbor seals are very docile and will sometimes let people approach very closely or even touch them. However, they are not familiar with people and become very stressed at human interaction. This harbor seal was transferred to a pet carrier and relocated to a quiet beach, where it returned into the water on its own.

Harbor Seal (September 25th, 2003)

This harbor seal was resting on Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA. Although it appeared to be a relatively healthy animal, it had chosen a place to come on shore where there were many people and dogs going by. It was impossible for this seal to rest in this environment, so Whale Center staff captured it and relocated it to a quiet, rocky beach. The seal remained in this location for a day and then returned to the water on its own.

Humpback Whale (October 2nd, 2003)

The Whale Center of New England typically responds to reports of stranded marine mammals on the North Shore of Massachusetts. However, when a large whale washes up in locations outside of that area, we are often asked to assist with necropsies (animal autopsies). That was the case for a juvenile humpback whale that washed up dead in Pemaquid, Maine. Whale Center scientists later identified this whale as being "Lighthouse," the 2000 calf of "Trident." Whale Center staff assisted the Marine Animal Lifeline, New England Aquarium, and the National Marine Fisheries Service in performing the necropsy and collecting samples from this animal.

Pilot Whale (October 23rd, 2003)

The Whale Center received a report of a live pilot whale stranded in Hoop Pole Cove in Rockport, MA. By the time we arrived on scene, the whale had died. With the help of New England Aquarium staff, performed a necropsy the following day and found that it was a very thin, unhealthy female that had most likely simply died of old age.

Minke Whale (October 29th, 2003)

Our busy fall continued with a report of a dead minke whale on Singing Beach in Manchester, MA. This animal had severe wounds around the base of its tail that appeared to be caused by a wrap in some kind of line. The New England Aquarium and The Whale Center of New England performed a necropsy the following day.