We arrived at Underwood Cove in Falmouth, Maine, on April 11, 2021 to find a small harbor seal pup covered in white fluffy fur (lanugo) with her umbilicus still attached. Already showing signs of a deficiency of nutrition from her mother, our team collected her for care.
Because most harbor seals lose their lanugo in utero and are born instead with spotted silver/gray fur, its presence at birth can be an indication that the seal is premature, and her fresh umbilicus indicated she was only 24 hours old!
At admit, #31 was 19 pounds and two feet long—a bit dehydrated and very hungry. In the wild, she would have been nursing, so we put her on a formula diet with feedings every four hours. So small and fragile, she required lots of care and attention to keep her healthy and strong. At two weeks old, she shed her lanugo coat, and at four, she was weaned on to fish.
Today, she is 41 pounds of feisty attitude! At this rate, she will soon be ready for release.
