Post Storm: Please Be Sure Not To Disturb Beached Animals

I was scrolling through Facebook today, and a post from the Wells Police Department caught my eye. They are politely reminding folks of the importance of not disturbing animals on the beach that may appear to be stranded, but are likely not.

Seals, for instance, often come up on the beach to rest, especially after a big storm. People sometimes mistakenly believe seals needs to stay wet to survive, and can upset the seals by trying to coax, or even scare them, back into the water.

With the water conditions being what they have been off the coast the last few days, seeing a seal resting may not be that far fetched. The graphic they shared gives much better details:

Should you encounter an animal that definitely needs help, you can call the folks from Marine Mammals of Maine at 1-800-532-9551. Only people who are specially trained to help these animals should intervene. You may end up causing more stress to the animal despite your best intentions.

There's plenty of coastline up this way that could also see many animals acting a bit differently than normal. But just remember, you and I are not qualified to do anything. It's best to watch from a safe distance and let the professionals help those poor, tired critters out!