Two rescued arctic seals fighting for survival

Two rescued arctic seals fighting for survival
By SUZANNE WENTLEY September 19, 2006
FORT PIERCE — Lounging near baby pools in an air-conditioned building at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution on Monday, two arctic hooded seals that beached themselves during the weekend were recovering and possibly heading home.
Meanwhile, marine scientists were trying to figure out how the seals, which normally live off the coast of Newfoundland and Greenland, ended up stranding themselves about 3,500 miles away at the St. Lucie Inlet State Park Preserve in Hobe Sound on Saturday and in Palm Beach County on Sunday.
"Why are they in Florida? That's the question," said Greg Bossart, Harbor Branch's director of marine mammal research and conservation. "We've just seen so many bizarre changes in our oceans with cancer in dolphins and antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses, all disturbing things. Is this another one?"
The seals could have been affected by cold water upwelling, a shift in food patterns or even one of the two hurricanes churning out in the Atlantic Ocean, he said.
On Monday, the seals — named Patches and Sandy — were being given ice, baby formula and antibiotics because they were suffering from severe dehydration and hypothermia "from being on the beach and baking in the Florida sun," Bossart said.
It was unclear Monday whether both of the young, female seals would survive, but Bossart and other marine mammal experts were working to transport the creatures to a better-equipped animal hospital in New Jersey.
Doug Capen, the operations manager of Stuart Jet Center, an aviation service business at Witham Field, said the center's owner was willing to fly the seals in his own Lear jet if the seals' cages can fit through the aircraft's door.
They could be flown north by jet as early as this afternoon, he said.
From there, Bossart said he hoped the animals would be healthy enough to be released back into the wild off the Maine shoreline.
"I need to get them stabilized medically," he said. "They're not feeling well now, and they're only 65 pounds, but even that's a handful."
WANT TO HELP THE SEALS?
In case efforts fall through to transport the two seals from Fort Pierce by jet to New Jersey — where the Marine Mammal Stranding Center is equipped to care for the seals until they can be released — Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution is hoping to raise $6,000 to transport them. Call the institution at (772) 465-2400 to donate.