Harp seal rescued near death at Shore travels 600 miles to Canada after release
A harp seal that was rescued near death in Lavallette and nursed back to health by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center was spotted this week after making his way to Nova Scotia in Canada.
The harp seal, #24-023, traveled more than 600 miles to Liverpool, Nova Scotia. He was "looking plump and content," according to the MMSC in a post on Facebook.
The organization released him on April 8 in Brigantine after six weeks of care.
The adult seal was rescued in Lavallette on Feb. 23 after consuming sand and becoming severely dehydrated, according to the MMSC.
"Once admitted into the hospital, staff began supportive care via tube feeding to rehydrate the seal, and started treatment to flush the sand out of his system with fluids and mineral oil," MMSC wrote on its Facebook page at the time.
More: Seal recovering at Marine Mammal Stranding Center after being found at Lavallette beach
He was 150 pounds when rescued. He made a full recovery and was returned to the ocean weighing 220 pounds.
Watch a video of the seal's release below:
The seal was relaxing on the beach in Nova Scotia and was reported to the Marine Animal Response Society in Canada. They relayed the call to the Greater Atlantic Region Maine Mammal Stranding Network, which used his orange flipped fin and original photos of his rescue to match his pattern.
"Seeing our former patient thriving in the wild is the heart of everything we do. Thank you to our colleagues in Canada for sharing this amazing update and photo with our followers!," the MMSC wrote in the Facebook post.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Harp seal saved by Marine Mammal Stranding Center now in Canada
