Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Lucy, a female yearling harbor seal, was rescued in Westhampton Beach on November 9th (day after my birthday) showing signs of respiratory illness and with visible wounds on her body believed to be the result of a predator attack.   Her intake physical indicated that she was also carrying around a few parasites.  

That face!

Lucy was never one to let something slow her down, not a predator, not any parasite and not seal pox.  She was always very alert and feisty.  She always had a wave and a snort for me when I brought her food or cleaned her ledge.

Hi Diddly-ho neighborino

I thought, how cute, how sweet, she waves at me.  Then I learned that waving is the universal harbor seal sign for "GTFO NOOB".  

"Stop....Lucy time"

Lucy developed quite the reputation during her Foundation stay.    She is wicked nosey and just a bit aggressive.   Aggressive is good, aggressive can survive in the wild.  Aggressive not so good on our tanks and her toys.   She also developed a reputation as a big piggie and had to be put on a "diet".  

Lucy has been cleared for release!  She will be returning to the ocean on March 17th at noon.  The release we be on the south side of the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays (on the bay side of Dune Road)  Check out www.riverheadfoundation.org for directions and a map.

So long and thanks for all the fish

 There is no real firm data on how many harbor seals are left in the world, but the best educated guesses say they number about 500,000.  There are about 70,000 harbor seals making their home between Canada and New Jersey.   In all that number Lucy should be able to find herself a nice mate and start a family. 


Lucy is available for adoption.  Just click the photo for the link.

Click me, you know you want to

Make a call, save a seal

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.   ~Edmund Burke 

The Riverhead Foundation relies on just a few grants to help do what we do every year.  One of those grants is the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant.  The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, or Prescott Grant Program, provides grants to eligible stranding network participants for:

• recovery and treatment/rehabilitation of stranded marine mammals
• data collection from living or dead stranded marine mammal
• facility upgrades, operation costs, and staffing needs directly related to the recovery and treatment of stranded marine mammals and collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals

Rescue and stranding programs all over the US apply for portions of this grant to subsidize their budgets.   

The President's Fiscal Year 2013 budget request concerning NOAA did not include funding for the grant at all.  Congress makes the final funding decision when passing funding bills, and that process is just getting started

Please take a moment, whoever you are and wherever you are, to call your Congressperson and tell them to reinstate this portion of the NOAA budget and allow these rescue agencies to continue doing the work that needs to be done to protect and save these endangered species.

Here's some incentive.  Seriously how can you not want to help that face.

I'd call Congress but I don't have opposable thumbs