In October of 2012, a local school group was doing a marine biology lab in the field when they noticed a juvenile porpoise caught in a salt marsh. The tide was low with only small puddles of water remaining.
Concerned for the animal, the group got in touch with MMOME. After an initial exam, he was found to be stable and in great condition. However, despite his seemingly good health, he was having difficult swimming. Because of this, we collected and transported him to the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center (MARC, now closed) for short-term care.
MMOME accompanied him during his stay to help stabilize him.
It was during his stay at MARC that he acquired the name “Noodle”, as he wasn’t able to swim in deeper water and needed a swim noodle to keep him stable. He was a bit on the skinny side, had an infection, and was completely exhausted, which made it difficult for him to swim.
He remained at MARC for 2 weeks before being transferred to the Riverhead Foundation in New York for long-term care. He was then released after 3 months of care!
