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Harp Seal, Collins Cove, Salem (January 18, 2008)
 Very vocal juvenile harp seal resting just above the high tide line. This close-up gives a great view of the teeth; look closely and you can see the striations on the whiskers.
Harp Seal, West Gloucester (January 24, 2008)
 This plump and alert seal rested on a dock behind someone's house for a couple of days. It's no cause for alarm to have them stay for a few days, but we do like to check on them a couple of times a day while they're there. Here you see a great example of the "banana" pose.
Harp Seal, Coffin Beach, Gloucester (January 29, 2008)
 Thin and lethargic, but responded to our presence. That and the fact that it was resting at the end of a well-traveled path, made us want to keep an eye on it. It stayed in that area for a couple of days and then moved on.
Gray Seal, Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester (February 16, 2008)
 Our first gray seal for the year. A very thin, but alert, pup, with beautiful coloring. Note the different shape to the face from the harp seals.
Harp Seal, Black Beach, Gloucester (March 11, 2008)
 Resting just above the high tide line only a few feet from a busy road with lots of foot traffic, this juvenile harp seal was nice and plump and alert to its surroundings. Because it was attracting a lot of attention we posted a sign informing folks that it's normal for seals to rest on the beach and asking them to keep their distance. The seal went back in the water when the tide came back in.
Harp Seal, Beverly Harbor (April 9, 2008)
 This plump and alert juvenile harp seal was resting on a floating dock in a busy Beverly marina. It had a visible injury on its hind flipper and had lost a lot of blood. Whale Center staff, with assistance from the Beverly Animal Control Officer and the Assistant Harbor Master, captured the seal and delivered it to New England Aquarium. The seal had several superficial wounds of undetermined origin but otherwise appeared to be in good health and was declared a good candidate for rehab. It is now in rehab at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and last we heard was doing well.
Risso's Dolphin, Rockport (June 23, 2008)
 At 6:00 PM we received a call about a live dolphin on the rocks in Rockport. Hoping the caller was mistaken we headed out to find a stranded juvenile Risso's dolphin lying on the rocks at the high tide line. The treacherous location made it dangerous to respond after dark so a response was planned for the next morning. In order to avoid these delays in the future we are working with a local veterinarian who will train with the NEAq to euthanize animals in this area when needed, thus cutting down the response time.
Harbor Seal, Rockport (June 29, 2008)
 Harbor seal pup season begins! This healthy looking seal was seen resting on a bed of seaweed in an inaccessible spot right on busy Bearskin Neck in Rockport. Whale Center staff watched the seal stretching and resting in the sun until it went back in with the incoming tide.
Harbor Seal, Rockport (June 30, 2008)
 Our second harbor seal pup of the year also found a good place to rest. This seal was on a remote rock far from the beaten path. It stayed for a few hours and was gone when we checked back later in the day.
Harbor Seal, Marblehead (July 19, 2008)
 Harbor seal pups need a lot of rest but don't always choose the best locations. This seal chose the swim platform of an anchored boat. After a couple of hours, when the boaters wanted to move on and the seal didn't, they lifted the seal into the boat and drove it in to shore. Cute though they are, seal pups are wild animals and the seal bit the man who lifted him into the boat. We were called to asses the animal's health and ultimately released it on a quiet beach.
Harbor Seal, Ipswich (July 26, 2008)
 Harbor seal pups wean at four weeks and then are on their own. While they might seem to us to be helpless they definitely are not! Because they are young they need a lot of rest, but people seeing them on the beach are often nervous for their well-being. A well-meaning family brought this seal home from the beach and then called NEAq to find out what to do. NEAq called us to pick up the seal from the family's yard. Again, we decided to release the seal on a quiet beach. The seal was lethargic upon release and did not return immediately to the water. The next morning the seal was gone, so we'll assume it only needed some time to recover from its stressful day. Handling seals is a federal offense and violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act. If you see a seal on the beach, please keep your distance and call The Whale Center of New England or your local animal control officer who will know who to contact.
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