We all should be so thankful to IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, for their work around the globe to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
I took a walk to the beach yesterday when I saw a car in the parking lot that had an IFAW sign in its window, so I knew something was going on. As I walked down the beach, I saw 2 white signs on the beach a good distance apart. There was also a volunteer from IFAW who was guarding the Harp Seal who was resting up on the beach. It is recommended that people stay at least 100 feet away from these endangered seals.
We had an interesting discussion while he described the number of seals that IFAW has rescued in the past few days on the Cape, which was quite a few.
The Harp Seal lives in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. They will “ungulate” their bodies to produce forward movement so they can move up onto the beach to rest. They will head back to the water at a later high tide. Interesting fact: The Harp Seals get their name from the black spot on their back that looks like a harp.
I sure was at the beach at the perfect time. What a great experience! Have you ever seen a Harp Seal?
