On the coast of Maine, a group of boaters spotted something unusual on the back of a vessel. At first, it looked like nothing more than a gray shape resting against the engine. It was small, still, and strange enough to draw their attention.
They watched it carefully, unsure of what it might be. The water moved around them, but the shape did not shift. The longer they looked, the more certain they became that it was not just debris.
The sound of faint cries reached them, and the sight became even harder to ignore. What they thought was an object seemed to have life in it.
When they finally leaned closer, the truth was revealed. The gray shape was not an object at all but something else entirely.
It’s A What?!
It’s not unusual for boaters in Maine to meet wild animals when they are doing their job. It’s part of everyday life. However, these boaters recently saw something that shocked them.
It was a small seal that was suckling on a boat propeller. They believed that it was somehow mistaking it for its mother.
Lynda Doughty, director of Marine Mammals of Maine, told The Dodo: “[He] would swim away and come back, crying out, searching for Mom. He was cold and shivery.”
The boaters realized what was going on, and decided to help in any way they could. They called Marine Mammals of Maine, which rushed to help.
The rescuers found the emaciated seal collapsed in seaweed. They tried to find the seal’s mom, but to no avail.
After getting a closer look at the orphaned seal, they realized that he was only 3 days old, so they knew that he wouldn’t make it on his own.
The Seal Was Living His Best Life
They immediately transported him back to their rescue center where they could help him. They administered some fluids and formula, which helped him regain his strength.
In their care, the seal was starting to grow and transform. After a few weeks, he was starting to eat fish and he gained a lot of weight.
The rescuers let him interact and socialize with other seals, which helped him out immensely. The orphaned seal was now living his best life.
As he was getting better, the rescuers realized that he was now old enough to take care of himself. It was time to take him back home.
They went to the same river where they found him and released him back to the waters. The seal looked so grateful and happy to be back in his natural habitat.
The rescuers were so happy that everything went well in this rescue and they were grateful to the people who called them to help. Doughty ends by saying: “Please give seals their space and share the shore. They were here before us!”