Harp Seal Spends Time Hanging Out In Downtown Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH -- Downtown Portsmouth is a popular destination for visitors to shop, dine out and walk around the historic neighborhoods.

This week one of those visitors stood out among the crowd.

A large harp seal made its way off Market Street Wednesday and caused quite a stir among onlookers from nearby buildings. Portsmouth Police responded and the Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue program sent a trained field responder to the scene.

“We then received additional reports of this seal from people that live in the condos there,” said SSC Marine Mammal Rescue Leader Amy Stokes, “people that work in office buildings nearby and could see the seal from their windows, and other general people as well.”

The seal showed signs of an injury on its backside, but was able to get back in the nearby water without help from the rescue team. Stokes said while it’s not unusual for this type of ice seal to roam out of the water in winter, it’s less typical to find them hanging out downtown.

“It’s common for them to get a little bit more wayward than normal, as they tend to follow snow and ice,” she said. “But this location was snow-covered grass, right next to the water, so it wasn't entirely uncommon. We just don't generally get seal reports in that exact area.”

The Marine Mammal Rescue program responds to all reports of live and dead marine animals in New Hampshire, and northern Massachusetts from Essex to the state border. While Stokes said the vast majority of reports involve seals, she has also been called for dolphins, porpoises and whales that have gotten too close to the public for comfort.

Gray seals and harbor seals are found year-round, while the hooded seal and harp seal – the kind that lost its way in Portsmouth this week – show up this time of year.

“Harp and hooded seals only visit our area in the winter months and they are the more common species to get wayward,” Stokes said, “as they follow melting snow and ice. Snow and ice generally dissipate from the beaches and rocky shores very quickly, so it's pretty common to find resting harp seals in areas where the snow or ice lasts longer.”

She said that includes marshes, backyards near the water, and sometimes parking lots and along shore-side roads. On Thursday, Stokes said Marine Mammal Rescue was monitoring junior harp seals in Dover and Hampton, and responded to one in Ipswich, Mass. on Wednesday night.

She said anyone who comes across an ocean mammal that has gotten itself into a place it doesn’t belong should contact local police and the Marine Mammal Rescue hotline immediately, and not try to get in close for a selfie.

“If someone comes across a live or dead seal, we ask them first off to keep away,” Stokes said. “Not only is it against federal regulation to approach a marine mammal closer than 150 feet, but it’s also hazardous to the animal and the human. Seals get stressed very easily, and if the animal already has an underlying illness or injury, stress can be detrimental to their health and well-being.

“Also, seals – some species more than others – can and will lash out when threatened. If bitten and the skin is broken, seals carry a host of different bacteria, which can lead to serious infection.”

The 24-hour Marine Mammal Rescue hotline is 603-997-9448.

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