National Weather
Hundreds of seals spend winter at the Jersey shore, but wildlife experts warn people to stay back
By Bill Duhart
Tribune News Service |
A winter vacation at the Jersey shore is all the rage with a certain set of mammals not necessarily known for flocking to Atlantic City.
A water temperature hovering just above freezing and plentiful supplies of fish attract up to 500 harbor and harp seals to the Jersey Shore through early spring.
Wildlife experts get the word out yearly that the visitors who occupy oceans from New England to the Arctic during the remainder of the year take up residence here, especially on sandbars and shorelines during the day. Experts advise marine mammal watchers to keep their distance, at least 100 feet away.
While seals may appear to be stranded, laying on their sides, often with fins in the air, they are not.
The nonprofit Marine Mammal Standing Center is trained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to care for stranded marine mammals in New Jersey.
"Whenever they are feeling tired of swimming they'll lay on a sandbar or bank to warm up," said Bob Schoelkopf, founding director of the stranding center, now in its 40th year. "One of the most accessible points to see them is near Sandy Hook."
The Gateway National Recreation Area near Sandy Hook is run by the National Park Service.
Schoelkopf recommends not spreading the word about other sightings of seals on social media. He said the public needs to keep its distance for the wellbeing of animals and people.
Some of the seals are up to 7 feet long and weight as much as 750 pounds. But some young pups are as small as 2 feet and weigh as little as 25 pounds.
Seal populations have been growing in the last 50 years. U.S. law prohibits harm to them. Formerly, they were regarded as a nuisance to commercial fisherman. Their only natural predators are sharks. Schoelkopf said a growing shark population in the midAtlantic and New England helps a healthy ecosystem.
He said the public can help by calling the stranding center - at 609-266-0538 - if they do see a seal in distress.
"We're on call 24-7," Schoelkopf said. "Give us a call if you spot something."
Schoelkopf said sea life is plentiful at the shore. He said animals as exotic as penguins have been spotted in winter, and dolphins, whales, turtles and sharks in summer.
©2019 The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.)
Visit The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.) at www.pennlive.com
Latest Weather News
What's tangling up the humpback whales? A food chain snarled by climate change
How climate change feeds Africa locust invasion
Storm Gloria kills 11 in Spain, causes wide coastal damage
Night of the (falling) iguanas: An odd forecast for South Florida
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Most Read • National Weather