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Seal rescues nearly double from same time last year

More seals are getting stranded or injured this summer. Marine biologists aren't sure why there has been an increase from this same time last year.

HARPSWELL (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Summer is a busy season for Maine families, trying to soak up the most out of these few, warm months. If you’re out on the water a lot, like Captain Kyle Jacobs, it’s common to occasionally see marine mammals, like seals.

Captain Jacobs works on the Elizabeth Grace, which is a charter service, and caters to people going to and from House Island. This year, on the fourth of July, he witnessed a seal rescue. The team from Marine Mammals of Maine in Harpswell was called in to help.

“They spent a few hours just being patient and they were able to get the baby seal, which was being pretty feisty,” Jacobs explained. “He still had a lot of strength. I guess that’s a good sign.”

Jacobs says he sees this sort of thing happen a couple of times each summer.

RELATED ► After near extinction, seals swimming strong again off southern Maine coast

The team at Marine Mammals of Maine says they are busier than usual this summer. Marine Mammals of Maine is a non-profit organization that rescues stranded mammals from Kittery to Rockland. It also helps nurse mammals back to health that were rescued by other organizations.

Linda Doughty is the Executive Director of Marine Mammals of Maine. She says they help all marine mammals, but most often they care for seals. She says this time of year is typically busy with newly born seal pups on the move, but in the last week they've made 20 rescues.

At this time last year they had rescued 30. This year the number is 53.

"This year they've been coming in a little tougher shape. We're not sure why that is, and maybe we won't know for months down the road," said Doughty. "We do take samples and look at diagnostics with these animals, too, for screenings to kind of monitor so we really look at ocean health, and this is one of the ways we do that."

Marine Mammals of Maine relies on its team of volunteers, including Julie Ouellette.

"Just feel like I'm really trying to do my part, even if one seal at a time, I feel makes a difference," said Julie Ouellette.

Last fall they rescued a couple of seals in Phippsburg.

In March of this year, officials from the Seacoast Science Center rescued a two-month-old seal pup. It was found stranded on Route 286 in Seabrook N.H., far from the ocean on Monday, March 5. They believe it lost its way during a nor’easter.

RELATED ► Seal pup gets stranded on NH road, lost during Nor'easter

There is a hotline to call if you spot a stranded or injured marine mammal.

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