February 19, 2024-MMSC Rescues Seal Trapped in Jetty

On Monday February 19th at 1:30pm the Marine Mammal Stranding Center received an urgent call for a seal stuck inside the jetty at the Allenhurst Fishing Pier. Two members of the Stranding Team were immediately dispatched as the Allenhurst Police Department secured the scene. A certified Stranding Volunteer local to the area monitored the trapped seal until staff arrived on scene. The seal undoubtedly had been climbing onto the jetty to get some much-needed rest, and had slipped between a gap in the rocks. The female Grey seal was trapped more than four feet below the top of the jetty, wedged with her body nearly folded in half on her side, hopelessly wedged between the rocks. Fortunately, her cries alerted bystanders who immediately called MMSC’s hotline. Had she not been discovered, the seal may have drowned with the incoming tide.
As the growling seal looked up at the Stranding Team, they realized this would not be a typical seal rescue. The large seal pup was a hefty 65lbs and ready to deliver a painful bite. After assessing the situation, MMSC’s Stranding Coordinator Jay Pagel and Stranding Technician Jacob Alexander worked to free the seal. First Jay climbed down into the hole with the seal, and using a catch pole rotated the seal’s position to free her from the smaller hole below. Once repositioned, Jay had to quickly climb out of the hole to avoid getting bitten by the agitated seal. Next using two catch poles, Jay and Jacob worked together to lift the animal out of the jetty and into the net. Miraculously, the seal only had minor lacerations and swelling despite being trapped for an unknown length of time. She was brought back to MMSC for a medical examination and 24-hour assessment. The seal was bright, alert, active and in excellent body condition. It was determined that she was healthy and not in need of medical treatment. She was marked #3 on her head with a nontoxic livestock marker that will fade over time. This will help us identify her should she haul out on another beach over the next few weeks. On the afternoon of Tuesday February 20th Jay and Jacob transported the seal to a natural wildlife area where she made her return to the freedom of the ocean.
This isn’t the first seal that has been rescued from a jetty in Stranding Coordinator Pagel’s 30-year career at MMSC, but was the most difficult on record. “Due to the size and aggressive nature of this seal and needing to work in such a confined space with the animal, made this situation one of the most challenging rescues of my career. We are very happy that we were able to complete this rescue without injury to the seal or the staff.”
Thank you to the Allenhurst Police Department for your assistance with this rescue.