Dog days of summer? More like “seal days” in Ocean County

A seal has been spotted on Ocean County beaches over the past few days, appearing just fine and enjoying the late summer beach conditions.

Jerry Meaney, a Point Pleasant first responder and prolific photographer that operates Barnegat Bay Island, NJ on Facebook, tells Jersey Shore Hurricane News and NewsWorks that the seal has been in Seaside, Lavallette, and Brick Beach III. 

Meaney, also a Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) volunteer, was “sealsitting” at Brick Beach III earlier today.

“I sat there to keep people from getting too close,” he says, warning that seals can be very dangerous if people approach. 

MMSC examined the seal yesterday in Lavallette, deeming it healthy and uninjured, according to Meaney.

“It may be avoiding sharks,” he says, adding that it is unusual for seals to appear on New Jersey beaches during the summer. 

Seals are common guests along the shoreline during the winter. 

MMSC will be at the New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven for “Seals of New Jersey: An Overview,” an event, slated for 6 p.m. tomorrow, that will highlight the four species of seals that call New Jersey their winter home. 

For more information about this program, contact Sarah Miele, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s Education Coordinator, at (609) 266-0538 or via e-mail at edummsc@aol.com.