A visitor unexpectedly graced the streets of Ocean City, where salt air mingles with seagulls' cries. There it was, a baby gray seal with eyes as wide as the ocean, a mere 4 to 6 weeks old.
It all began on a chilly Wednesday afternoon.
West Avenue and 42nd Street residents gazed out their windows, curiously observing a seal meandering along the asphalt. There was an awkward shuffling of the seal's flippers as if it had taken a wrong turn on its aquatic journey.
The neighbors provided an immediate response, urgently contacting the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
Their stranding coordinator arrived immediately, scanning the neighborhood for the lost pup.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine is a nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases marine mammals into the wild.
The center was founded in 1978 and has been operating ever since as the only federally authorized animal hospital in the state that responds to and treats distressed animals.
Current Director Sheila Dean oversees a staff of more than 30 people, including veterinarians, biologists, animal care technicians and volunteers. A network of more than 100 trained volunteers help with rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
The team responds to more than 1,000 calls each year.
It’s 24-hour hotline never sleeps.
The call reverberates through the quiet night when a distressed creature strands itself.
The dedicated team rushes to the scene, hearts pounding in sync with the crashing waves. They cradle the injured animal, whispering words of comfort, and transport it back to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
The center’s state-of-the-art veterinary hospital tends to various injuries and illnesses. The animals are also given rehabilitation therapy to help them regain their strength and learn how to survive in the wild.
Once the animals are fully rehabilitated, they are released back into their natural habitat.
The weathered building perched near the dunes houses more than medical equipment. It cradles hope.
Inside, life-size replicas of game fish, sea turtles and marine mammals adorn the walls — a visual reminder of the lives they strive to protect. The salty breeze carries tales of survival whispered by the waves themselves.
Over the past few years, the hotbed topic of offshore wind coming to the shoreline has been challenging for the center.
But despite what some insist, necropsies performed on dead animal that washed up on the shore did not reveal evidence that the wind energy undertakings were contributed to the deaths, Dean said.
Causes included being entangled in nets or getting hit by a propeller.
In response to what she would like from the community, Dean responded: "Trust."
The center wants to save marine life, and would be against anything that harms it, she said. But there must be scientific information to take a stance either way.
Most of all, the center needs the public's support to save animals like the detoured seal.
Like a chapter from a maritime novel, the Ocean City seal's adventure unfolded.
It crossed backyards, navigated sidewalks and even ventured onto 42nd Street, where it came close to being hit by a passing vehicle.
An Ocean City police officer stepped in to block traffic as the seal continued its journey.
For nearly 20 minutes, the seal traveled about a quarter-mile, propelling itself toward the ocean with its flippers. The seal's exhaustion was evident — it had wandered far from its natural habitat.
The center’s stranding coordinator finally caught up to the weary pub within 100 yards of the beach ramp, whisking the seal away to its Intensive Care Unit.
The seal received nourishment there: a tube-feeding mixture of formula and electrolytes.
The underweight seal rested on soft bedding, waves playing rhythmically in the background. The team marveled at the resilience of this young traveler, who had unwittingly embarked on a terrestrial adventure.
The pup is "doing well, however a little feisty," Dean said a few days into rehab.
Aggressive is good, she explained.
This wasn't the center's first encounter with a wayward seal this year.
They rescued another from a roadway earlier in the season.
These pups, born on distant islands, followed their instincts to seek water, even if it meant winding up in unexpected places.
The center reminded everyone to be vigilant, especially during coastal flood advisories.
The center will bring back on its most popular fundraisers next month.
"Ales for Whales" will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. March 12 at the Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City.
There will be a silent auction, raffle tickets and merchandise sales.
All profits go toward the center.
Anyone who encounters a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle is reminded to call the Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s 24-hour stranding hotline at 609-266-0538.
The center is located at 3625
For more information on supporting their mission, visit MMSC.org.
