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Hooded Seals Stray to Florida
Scientists Baffled
Believe it... know it... oppose it.
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A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization |
Hooded Seals Stray to Florida
Scientists Baffled
|
Believe it... know it... oppose it. |
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Hooded seal Sandy better; Lear jet awaits September 20, 2006 Fort Pierce · Sandy, a hooded seal, was medically cleared and will board a jet to New Jersey today, marine mammal experts said. Patches, the second hooded seal to strand herself on local beaches over the weekend, was not healthy enough to endure the flight to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, N.J., said Stephen McCulloch, director of dolphin research at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. Sandy, who came ashore at the St. Lucie Inlet State Preserve in Hobe Sound on Saturday while volunteers were picking up trash during a beach cleanup, had stable X-rays late Tuesday and, pending a good physical early this morning, will make the trip. Richard Schmidt, owner of Stuart Jet Center, will fly his personal Lear 55 jet carrying the caged seal and Harbor Branch experts. "We'll make this thing happen in the blink of an eye," McCulloch said. "My goal is to make it low-stress, no-stress for the animal." Along with medical experts, Sandy will be accompanied by medical documents, backup equipment, water sprayers and medicine. McCulloch said Patches, who beached herself Sunday in Palm Beach County, would remain at Harbor Branch under medical attention, with the hope the young animal can be moved soon. She is suffering from dehydration. Doug Capen, operations manager at Stuart Jet Center, said Tuesday that they were prepared to have a hooded seal, an arctic species normally found off the coast of Newfoundland and Greenland, as a passenger. "We do odd things like this quite often, whether it's a presidential visit or whatever," he said. Suzanne Wentley can be reached at suzanne.wentley@ scripps.com. Arctic seals rescued in Florida FORT PIERCE, Fla., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Two young hooded seals who wandered from the Arctic to South Florida were rescued from beaches where they were found near death from dehydration. Sandy the Seal was found Saturday on Hobe Sound Beach, the Palm Beach Post reported. Patches turned up Sunday in the surf 2 miles north of the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. Both seals are females, about 6 months old and members of a species usually found in the far north. "They're like little extraterrestrials, really," said Gregory Bossart, director of marine mammal research and conservation at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. The two seals were taken to Harbor Branch, near Fort Pierce. They are to be flown to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, N.J., for rehab and then released in Maine. Scientists say that arctic seals have been straying farther south in greater numbers. They are unsure why -- whether seals are simply more numerous or there is something more sinister going on like food supply problems. Copyright Political Gateway 2006© |
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