Harbor seals are one of the most common animals on both the West and East Coast, and are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a report said.
A baby harbor seal appeared to be a long way from home when it was found wandering around the streets of Southhampton, officials said, according to a published news report.
On Sunday, Southhampton police said 911 dispatchers received a call about a seal in the roadway at the traffic circle in Riverside. When officers responded they found the baby harbor seal in the roadway near the Budget Host Inn, the Southampton Town Police Department said in a Facebook statement.
“Our officers were able to detain the seal until the seal was taken into custody by the Riverhead Foundation,” the department said.
Police said residents called 911 to report the sea creature that had been moving through a park, according to a report.
In the Facebook post, Southhampton police posted photos of the seal in different areas of the street. One photo shows the seal in the middle of the road and another photo shows the animal next to the police officer’s vehicle, KIRO 7News reported.
Sgt. Jim Cavanagh told CNN that he believed “the seal swam up the Peconic River, probably behind a big school of alewife fish,” he said.
“The seal probably climbed up out of the river ending up in a park,” Cavanagh said. “There, it probably just got turned around and then traveled somewhere between 500 and 700 feet into the traffic circle.”
The seal was rescued by a team from the New York Marine Resource Center and was then transported the animal to a rehabilitation center, CNN reported.
Maxine Montello, the rescue center’s program director, told the news outlet the “animal is in good condition.”
“We think he just wandered a little too far from the beach,” Montello said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get him back to the beach as soon as possible.”
Many people following the story wished the seal well. While others were getting a kick out of the animal's unexpected adventure.
“Oh poor baby! He looks tired,” wrote one person.
Another person said: “Seal is now serving 6 months on a Public indecency charge at Riverhead Correctional Facility Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.”
