Turtle Journal

At low tide this morning, I executed a patterned search of the marsh south of Fox Island, focusing on the areas where the young harp seal was first detected on Saturday (star) and again Sunday (diamond).  There was no sign of her, but this marsh area is quite extensive with acres upon acres of thick grass laced with serpentine channels and quick-mud sink holes.  No ground search, no matter how exhaustive, could conclusively confirm her presence or absence.  I’ll continue to check this area during my regular terrapin habitat patrols.

The Cape and Wellfleet were blasted by a storm front last night with winds howling from the south with over 50 knot gusts.  It struck with enough force to down power lines and damage the Lieutenant Island bridge.  Today the breeze has swung to the west at a more moderate 25 to 30 mph.  One wonders whether this gentle critter might have sensed the impending storm and took refuge deep in a protective marsh system almost akin to a hurricane hole.  Just wondering.

Juvenile Harp Seal in Fox Island WMA Marsh

With yesterday evening’s high tide, I returned to the harp seal stranded in the Fox Island marsh.  The tide had reached the mud bank were the seal was spotted Saturday morning.  I waded out to her locale to see if she had escaped with the tide and couldn’t see her until I was within about ten feet.  She hadn’t moved, but remained in the same area, floating head down and under water with only the bump of her back exposed.  I was concerned that she might be immobilized by something or other, so I began to approach cautiously.

Well, life is a challenge.  At maximum high tide she was floating in about 20 inches of water.  I know that because the low wading boots I had foolishly chosen for this trek were 18 inches high.  Yep, that’s right — two inches below water level.  When I slogged to a spot right over her, she snapped to life, poked her head up, and began to plow through the flooded high marsh grass toward deeper water.  I walked with her until the icy tide reached my thighs, at which point I decided the better part of valor was to retreat while I could still feel my toes.  She didn’t make it all the way to the navigable creek, but she did maneuver to within a few feet of a nice channel. At the request of the Mammal Stranding Network, I returned Sunday morning to check the area at low tide to see if she had moved out.  Unfortunately, this young harp seal remains grounded in the same location as last night.

With head resting in a clump of high grass, she took little notice my approach, just following my movement with her eyes but not lifting her head.  Her right eye, which I thought might have been injured, seemed responsive today, although darker and seemingly larger than the left eye.

As I got closer, she panted in shallow breaths, something akin to weak, barely audible barks.

She did lift her head slightly as I circled behind her and walked away.  The spot where she lies now is within a foot or two of a creek channel which floods regularly with normal high tides.  So, if she desires, there should be no trouble escaping from this section of the marsh when she’s ready to leave.  I’ll check on her again tomorrow morning.

Young Harp Seal in Fox Island WMA Marsh

About a 1/4 mile south of Fox Island in the marsh off Anawan Road on Indian Neck, I found a young seal high and dry on a mud bank quite a distance from any open swimming channel back to the bay.  She may have floated in with the astronomically significant tides these last few days.

She appeared responsive and tracked my movements with her left eye.

But the right eye socket seemed enlarged and the eyeball was black as ebony.  It did not appear normal.

She did look plump and well nourished — at least to a turtleman’s eye.  I’ll re-check her at high tide today and again tomorrow morning.