Many Hypeline readers will be hitting up the beach on this beautiful Memorial Day. Some of you are virtually guaranteed to run into seals.
Don’t mess with the wildlife, especially the seals.
Think Maine reports: “There is no selfie stick long enough!” That’s the message coming from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in time for Memorial Day weekend when, if the weather holds, people will flock to beaches and coastlines where they might encounter a baby seal.
They might even think about putting their cute child next to the cute seal to take a picture. But that’s a pretty terrible idea. First of all, seals have powerful jaws, and they can use them.
But what if you see a seal pup all by itself on the beach? Don’t panic. That’s normal. Also, if you see a pup all by itself, crying loudly, that’s normal, too. That’s what seal pups do.
As NOAA helpfully points out, mother seals may leave their young pups alone for up to 24 hours while they feed. You probably won’t see the mom in the water, but she will probably see you by her pup. And something devastating could happen: She might not think it’s safe to come back, and, feeling threatened, abandon her adorable baby.
If it’s a curious pup and comes up to you, don’t pet it, feed it, put it back in the water, hug it or put it in your car. Don’t let your pet near it. Just stay away.
“As a rule of thumb, stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) from seals. A curious seal pup might approach on its own, but the mother is likely to be nearby, and may see your interaction as a threat,” according to NOAA.
Instead, watch our the video of uber cute seals above.