PORTLAND, Maine - Federal fisheries regulators are reminding people to stay away from gray seal pups they might see this time of year on islands and shorelines in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
December through February is birthing time for the region's gray seals. NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Jennifer Goebel says the pups are born with a white, fluffy coat and nurse for 16 to 17 days. She says it's not unusual to see a mother and pup - or a lone pup - on a beach.
Just because a pup is alone, Goebel says, doesn't mean that it's been abandoned. "Usually what's happening is the mother gray seal has gone off foraging and she's left her pup there and she thinks it's safe."
Goebel says that people should stay at least 150 feet away from the seals to avoid injury to themselves or to the animals. She says people should remember that seals are wild animals that can bite and transmit disease.