Bystander Puts Dog Collar On Sunbathing Seal At Gilgo Beach: NYDEC

GILGO BEACH, NY — A sunbathing seal found with a dog collar around its neck at Gilgo Beach was attended to by Environmental Conservation Police earlier this month, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) announced.

On March 5, officers received a complaint of a bystander putting a dog collar on a sunbathing seal. The person allegedly attempted to drag the seal to the water with the collar, NYDEC said.

When authorities arrived at the scene, the bystander could not be found.

Officers established a security perimeter around the seal, allowing it to sunbathe in peace, without disturbance.

Maxine Montello, rescue program director of the New York Marine Rescue Center, recently told Patch that the Marine Mammal Protection Act mandates that people stay 150 feet away from marine animals.

"It's really important that people do not get too close to these animals, because once you're going to change their behavior, which is considered technically harassing that animal," she said. "We don't want people to feed them, we don't want people to try to touch them, because all of that can stress that animal out, and then cause larger issues."

The officers also documented the condition of the seal and sent his findings back to the rescue center.

The seal was determined unharmed, NYDEC told Patch.

If one ever witnesses a seal or marine animal out of water, Montello said that the best thing to do is to give it space and to call the rescue center's 24-hour phone number.

"If people interact with seals, or dolphins or whales, we encourage them to call that 24 hour hotline," she said. "Call the hotline to speak to one of our experts, and then we'll provide guidance on next steps, if we think that the animal needs to come to us, or if it's okay to just monitor in the field."

Only two days prior, DEC responded to a seal in Babylon Village, which had become a public spectacle.

If you see a marine animal in distress, call the hotline at: 631-369-9829.