Hint: It relates to water…. Tortoises live most of their time on land, while turtles spend more time in an aquatic environment. As it turns out, the long coast of Maine provides tons of prime habitat for sea turtles! Sea Turtles in Maine Our region attracts four of the six species of sea turtles in…Continue Reading
MMoME’s First Veterinary Preceptorship
by Brianna Blunck This February, I enthusiastically accepted the position as MMoME’s first veterinary preceptor, excited for a new experience and to apply what I’ve learned in school thus far. I had previously worked as a veterinary technician in an emergency hospital and as a volunteer for a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Hunter, New York,…Continue Reading
#81—Harpswell, Maine
Though patient #81 was also no longer with her mom when we responded to her case, her story is a bit different. She was reported to our hotline on June 6, 2021, in Harpswell, Maine. Based on her behavior, teeth, and nutritional condition, it was evident that she had been weaned and was completely independent…Continue Reading
#37—Westport Island, Maine
#37 is another April 2021 pup, reported to our hotline on Westport Island. We responded to find him with a full lanugo coat and an umbilicus, sleeping in the water. Though his location limited our ability to examine him, we were amazed to watch this hours-old pup expertly swimming and resting in the cold, rough…Continue Reading
#36—Freeport, Maine
On April 30, 2021, a caring and concerned beach walker found pup #36 sleeping alone on seaweed and was worried he’d been abandoned. Thanks to the report, our team arrived on site shortly after receiving the call. He was nutritionally robust and didn’t appear to have any wounds. Overall, he appeared healthy and strong, with…Continue Reading
COA—Lincolnville, Maine
Our stranding network partners at Allied Whale at the College of the Atlantic responded to and rescued COA on April 29, 2021. After their team determined she had been abandoned and would not survive without intervention, they collected and transported her to MMoME’s center. Her admit exam revealed that she, too, had lanugo fur, was…Continue Reading
#31—Falmouth, Maine
We arrived at Underwood Cove in Falmouth, Maine, on April 11, 2021 to find a small harbor seal pup covered in white fluffy fur (lanugo) with her umbilicus still attached. Already showing signs of a deficiency of nutrition from her mother, our team collected her for care. Because most harbor seals lose their lanugo in…Continue Reading
Ice is Nice—for Ice Seals
This winter’s late arrival of snow has been problematic for some of our seasonal visitors. Ice seals rely on snow and ice for hydration, getting more of their fluid intake from these substrates. In times of little to no snow or ice, MMoME tends to document higher numbers of dehydration cases, and since ice seal season began, MMoME has responded to seven harp and gray seals and 13 strandings overall. Read more about ice seals and our current rehab patients here—and watch some footage of patient 007 enjoying the snow as he receives treatment!
We love it when a plan comes together!
This winter, we continued our collaboration with our friends at Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) in New York and teamed up for the first time with New Hampshire’s Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue (SSC) to learn more about the post-release lives of rehabilitated seals. Click through to read about the collaboration and to view a map of where our most recently tagged seals traveled in just two weeks’ time!
Four Seal Releases, Four Videos!
So far this year, four harbor seal pups have been released back to the wild after rehabilitation at our center! All four were rescued as abandoned pups in need of nurturing and treatment to survive. During their three months in our care, they healed from injuries; overcame umbilical, respiratory, ear, and wound infections; were weaned…Continue Reading
