LEWES, Del. - The Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute responded to Cape Henlopen State Park Monday morning for a gray seal pup tangled in the line of a mesh bag.
According to MERR, the seal was found entangled on April 20 in what appeared to be the line of a bag used to carry live bait. Fortunately, a concerned beachgoer notified MERR before the pup could make her way back into the water with the line still wrapped around her.
Volunteers were able to take MERR’s facility for disentanglement and wound care. The seal was then taken to the National Aquarium triage center in Ocean City for further care.
In keeping with MERR’s “fonts” naming theme for the year, the pup was dubbed “Wing Ding Verdana.”
“Even though we are reaching the end of our seal season locally, there are still many in the area that haul out on local beaches,” the MERR Institute said in a social media post Monday. “If you encounter one, please maintain a distance of 150 feet from the animal, keep dogs on a leash, abide by directions from MERR volunteers, and please call 302.226.5029.”
To learn more about MERR and the animals they respond to, click here.
