The Seacoast Science Center, as part of its seal rescue response team, will be installing two signs in Portsmouth to educate the public on stranded seals.
One sign is to to go on the building at the Peirce Island boat ramp and the other will be mounted at the end of the Little Harbor Road right-of-way, down near the water's edge.
The Portsmouth City Council OK'd the signs on April 21, after a presentation on the Marine Mammal Stranding Network by Wendy Lull, president of the Seacoast Science Center.
The Marine Mammal Rescue Team Hotline is (603) 997-9448.
The Seacoast Science Center is authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service to lead the state's marine mammal rescue effort for stranded, injured or diseased seals, whales, porpoises and dolphins along the New Hampshire coast.
The center collaborates with the New England Aquarium and the Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Conservation Center at the University of New England.
It's not uncommon to see a seal on a coastal beach, as they sometimes do to sleep, nurse or soak up the sun, according to the center. Lull and team urge people to call their hot-line when they see a seal out of water.
Other tips via Seacoast Science Center include:
- watch quietly from at least 150 feet away
- keep dogs away from the animal
- do not offer it food or water
- do not pour water on the animal
- do not cover the animal with a towel or blanket
- do not try to move the animal.
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