On Saturday June 1st, a young male gray seal was spotted near the jetty at Rudee Inlet, according to the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. This same seal was first sighted in southern NC in mid-May, where it underwent its annual molt.
Although hundreds of miles south of its normal late-spring range, this seal appears healthy and uninjured. Upon consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - the federal agency in charge of protecting this species of marine mammal -- the Aquarium has been monitoring the seal’s health and behavior. Seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act – which means no matter how cute and docile they may look, they should be given a wide berth.