On Friday, August 12, the National Aquarium was joined by Oceana for the release of three endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles into the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout State Park in Scotland, Maryland. The turtles came to the National Aquarium this winter from the New England Aquarium, after they were found stranded along Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Spring is here, and that means thoughts of warm weather, the beach, and vacations are in the air! But for the Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP), spring is the season for seals. This spring, the National Aquarium has responded to many reports of seal sightings in the region. MARP staff and volunteers are specially trained to assess, monitor, and sometimes collect the animals if they are in need of rehabilitation. Thanks to the dedication of MARP staff and volunteers, two grey seals were admitted for rehabilitation in March.

Stewie
On March 14, a young grey seal pup was picked up in Ocean City, Maryland and transfered to Baltimore for rehabilitation. After being spotted on the beach in northern Ocean City for over 24-hours, responders quickly evaluated his overall body condition and behavior. The animal appeared dehydrated, lethargic, and seemed to be coughing frequently. It quickly became apparent that the seal, later named Stewie, is still quite young. At the time, staff were unsure if he was even old enough to be eating and hunting for food on his own.

Once admitted for rehab and stabilized, staff tried various techniques to encourage his natural food hunting instincts. Those instincts quickly kicked in - Stewie is now eating 7 pounds of fish per day and has gained 12 pounds since being admitted.

In April, Aquarium staff, along with the help of local cardiologist Dr. Steven Rosenthal at Chesapeake Veterinary Cardiology Associates, completed an echocardiogram on Stewie to rule out any possible heart conditions. Stewie continues to heal very well and spends time swimming in his rehab pool.

Guinness
On March 17, the MARP team received a call from stranding officials in North Carolina about another grey seal that was in need of rehabilitation. Their staff had been monitoring the juvenile grey seal for several days, and noted that the animal was emaciated, dehydrated, and had grown increasingly lethargic over two days.

The seal was initially transported to the Virginia Aquarium’s rehabilitation facility for triage and some much-needed fluids. On March 18, the MARP team, in conjunction with the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Program and the MERR Institute in Delaware, transported the animal to Baltimore.

Appropriately named Guinness, as he stranded on St. Patrick’s Day, the seal was immediately provided triage and supportive care. Upon examination by the veterinary staff, it was determined that Guinness was suffering from pneumonia, a moderate jaw fracture, and an upper respiratory infection.

In April, after much consideration and research, Aquarium vets decided that minor surgery to stabilize the seal’s lower jaw was necessary for the fracture to heal properly. The procedure was successful, and Guinness now has a wire holding the left and right sides of his lower jaw together. It will be removed in six to eight weeks, once the jaw has had time to set.

Guinness recovered very well from the procedure, and continues to have a healthy appetite! He has gained 32 pounds since he first entered the rehab program, and enjoys eating ice.

The seals will be in rehabilitation at the Aquarium for the next few months. MARP hopes to be able to release them back into their ocean habitats this summer.

In addition to these two seals, MARP is still caring for eight of the 11 sea turtles that came to the National Aquarium in December from the New England Aquarium. Caring for these animals is very costly. The public can contribute to their care and feeding through online donations or by texting the word ACT to 20222.

For more photos or story needs, please contact Jen Bloomer at 410-576-3860.

(Baltimore, December 15, 2010)- It’s the season of giving, and the National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program is doing its part to give rescued animals a warm place to recover this holiday season. With water temperatures rapidly dropping along the Atlantic coast, animal rescue programs along the East Coast are experiencing what could be one of the largest cold-stunned sea turtle stranding seasons in history. The National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) has happily opened their animal care center in Baltimore to rehabilitate endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles from New England.

Baltimore (November 2, 2010) – The National Aquarium continues to monitor Baltimore area waterways for a wayward manatee after receiving another report late last week of a manatee sighting in the upper Patapsco River area. The report is one of several that were made to the National Aquarium in the month of October.

With cold weather rapidly approaching, several concerns are being raised about the health of the manatee. The National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) worries that the water temperature of the Upper Patapsco is quickly becoming too cold for the mammal and its natural food source, submerged grass.

 

“We have received several reports of manatee sightings over the past three weeks but they are scattered, and no photographic evidence exists,” commented Jennifer Dittmar, stranding coordinator of the National Aquarium’s Marine Rescue Program. “We are working very closely with the US Fish and Wildlife Service out of Florida to monitor the animal, but without photos and consistent sightings we are having trouble tracking its movements and assessing its health.”

While there have been several sightings, Aquarium officials have been unable to locate the manatee due to scattered reports. Officials believe that the animal is traveling in and out of the Middle Branch area to search for food, making it hard to track. Additionally, manatees don’t have dorsal fins, as seen on dolphins, making it harder to spot.  The National Aquarium has been monitoring and searching the Baltimore area waterways with hopes that it may spot the animal or figure out its traveling patterns. 

The Mid-Atlantic coast is becoming a popular destination for manatees during the summer season, however, they should instinctively head back south with the start of fall.  Maryland’s water temperatures in the summer months are warm enough for the manatees, and the Chesapeake Bay has an abundance of submerged sea grasses for them to eat along the way. To read about last year’s rescued Florida manatee, Ilya, click here.

The National Aquarium is encouraging people around the area to be alert to the possible presence of this manatee, and to request help in documenting manatee sightings. Reports of sightings can be made to the stranding hotline at 410-373-0083, or by submitting recent photos of the manatee to marp@aqua.org. Please include details about the location of the sighting.

Manatees are large warm-water mammals that feed on sea grasses. They are normally 9-10 ft. long and can weigh over 1000 lbs. Observers should look for nostrils or the smooth back of the animal, or the tell-tale smooth ‘footprint’ created on the surface of the water as they move.

The National Aquarium also reminds local boaters to be aware that the animal is in the vicinity, and to use common sense practices to keep themselves and the manatee safe:

• Boaters in these areas should slow down when traveling by boat in inlets and around shallows to avoid striking the manatee, and observe no wake signs.
• No one should approach the manatee. It is a violation of Federal law to touch, disturb or interact with marine mammals. This includes feeding them – no feeding!
• Keep at least a 50 foot distance. This is for human safety as well – manatees are not aggressive but they are wild animals, not tamed or conditioned to human interaction.

Baltimore (June 21, 2010) – On Saturday, June 19, three endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were treated like “diplomats of the sea” as they were escorted from Baltimore to the southern tip of Maryland in a new 2010 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid – the Official Conservation Vehicle of the National Aquarium – and released into the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout State Park in Scotland, Maryland. The successful transfer and release marks the first of many animal rescue efforts that will take place as part of an ongoing partnership between the National Aquarium and Chevrolet.