Why do seals strand?
Seals that are seen on land are not necessarily stranded or in need of help. Seals are semi-aquatic, which means that they spend part of their lives on land and part in the water. Seals haul out on land to rest, to get warm and dry, to molt, and to give birth. Some seals that haul out on land are, in fact, in need of medical attention, and thus, are considered stranded. Because of this, every time CCSN gets a report of a seal on the beach, we send trained volunteers or staff to complete a health assessment of the animal to determine whether it represents a stranding or simply a sighting of a healthy animal. Seals typically strand due to illness or injury. Some young animals fail to thrive once they are weaned from their mothers, and other older animals may die of natural causes. Nine percent of seals in the past year stranded because of human interactions. Human interactions include: entanglement in marine debris, vessel collisions, ingestion of marine debris, and harassment.
