OCEAN CITY — An injured seal discovered on the beach in north Ocean City last weekend by a concerned resident and eventually rescued by the Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) on Monday was still being treated for a severe infection at the National Aquarium in Baltimore late yesterday afternoon.
A local resident encountered the juvenile grey seal on the beach at 139th Street last Sunday and stayed with it throughout the day and into Monday until MARP staffers arrived. According to National Aquarium spokesperson Jennifer Bloomer, the injured seal was admitted to the aquarium on Monday afternoon and treatment continues.
“The seal was found with a severely infected wound, which caused it to become very emaciated and dehydrated,” she said. “As of Thursday afternoon, aquarium staff is still working to stabilize the seal with antibiotics and fluids.”
It has become fairly common to see seals on the beach and in the bay in Ocean City in recent years, either healthy or injured or sick. Aquarium staffers urge residents and visitors to keep a safe distance from the creatures and report sick or stranded seals to MARP.