The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement in Suffolk County spent a few days providing security for seals.
Earlier in March, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) Dickson, Anderson, and Perkins responded to a call from Suffolk County Central Dispatch of a potentially injured seal on a boat ramp in Babylon Village.
The ECOs arrived at the location and contacted the New York Marine Rescue Center to report the seal’s condition and behavior. Experts at the rescue center, who determined it was likely a male harp seal visiting from arctic waters, advised that these types of seals stress easily. When stressed, the seals tend to consume sand and rocks that can damage their digestive systems.
ECOs and Village of Babylon Code Enforcement set up a perimeter 150 feet around the boat launch to protect the seal from curious bystanders who had gathered to take pictures.
The arctic seal was transferred to the rescue facility and treated for dehydration.
