On November 15th, 2014, MMoME received a report from a concerned citizen of a dolphin on Short Sands Beach in York, ME. Live-stranded cetaceans (a porpoise, dolphin or whale) are a much more serious event compared to live-stranded pinnipeds (seals). Unlike seals, cetaceans cannot live out of water, even temporarily, and when they end up…Continue Reading
Our Case Stories
Juvenile Hooded Seal, Ogunquit
During the winter of 2017, a small seal was reported to MMoME’s hotline just before dark in front of a busy restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Photos showed a juvenile hooded seal! A less common species reported to MMoME, this arctic species made the normal migration down to coastal Maine for the winter. MMoME staff immediately…Continue Reading
Juvenile Harp Seal, Brunswick
In early 2017, a juvenile harp seal stranded in a marsh in Brunswick, Maine. After being reported to our hotline, a trained volunteer was dispatched to examine him. Harp seals are an arctic species that migrate down to the Maine coast in the winter, and head back north each summer. His assessment yielded a borderline…Continue Reading
Right Whale, Boothbay Harbor
In September of 2016, a local whale watch vessel reported a deceased North Atlantic right whale floating off of Boothbay Harbor, ME. This species is critically endangered, with less than 500 remaining; the loss of any individual is detrimental to the population. Though sad, the importance of learning everything possible from a deceased right whale…Continue Reading
Weanling grey seal
In the spring of 2013, an undernourished female grey seal with an ulcerated eye injury was reported to MMOME. She was recently weaned and not thriving on her own, so we knew that the best course of action would be to transport her to MARC. She recovered well, but when testing her with live fish,…Continue Reading
Juvenile harbor porpoise in Brunswick, ME
In October of 2012, a local school group was doing a marine biology lab in the field when they noticed a juvenile porpoise caught in a salt marsh. The tide was low with only small puddles of water remaining. Concerned for the animal, the group got in touch with MMOME. After an initial exam, he…Continue Reading
Yearling grey seal Kettle Cove Beach in Cape Elizabeth, ME
In September of 2015, a yearling male grey seal was discovered with monofilament line wrapped around his neck. After giving him a full exam, we realized that he was also showing signs of an upper respiratory infection, and had a few lacerations. We knew that he would require extensive care and rehabilitation, so we made the…Continue Reading
Grey seal weanling at Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine
The first animal of 2016 to be reported to our hotline was a recently weaned grey seal. We could tell that she was recently weaned by the patches of lanugo (woolly fur) that are generally shed around the time of weaning. She was reportedly stuck in the rocks, which despite being very rare, turned out…Continue Reading
Harbor Seal Pup Jett, Tenants Harbor
On April 22nd, 2016, a harbor seal pup stranded on Martinsville beach in Tenants Harbor, Maine. He was the first harbor seal pup reported to Marine Mammals of Maine’s (MMoME) hotline that year. His lanugo fur, the white fluffy coat usually shed in utero before birth, indicated he was born prematurely, and likely less than…Continue Reading
Yearling Harbor Seal, Southport
In March of 2016, a caring individual called the hotline to report a young seal on their dock in Southport, Maine. A nearby volunteer responder was dispatched to assess the animal, and found a deep entangling line wrapped tightly around the young harbor seal’s neck. If left untreated, as the seal grew the line would…Continue Reading
