Beached seal brings swift response from National Aquarium

The sight of a migrating harp seal taking a breather on the beach in Ocean City last weekend brought a quick response from volunteers, who were intent on assuring the creature remained undisturbed.

Members of the National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Marine Mammal Wildlife Rescue and the Maryland Coastal Bays Programs Seal Stewards group monitored the scene at 135th Street prior to the seal returning to the sea overnight on Sunday.

Aquarium volunteer Chuck Erbe of Ocean View, Delaware materializes whenever a marine animal or sea turtle turns up on the beaches in Ocean City or Assateague.

“I won’t say I’m on call 24/7, but it’s very close to that,” he said. “What we do is come down and assess the situation.”

More