A grey seal pup was spotted napping on the beach at the Jersey Shore last Friday, giving people on the beach for a winter time stroll a glimpse of the semi-aquatic mammal.
The seal was first spotted in Holgate, lounging on the sand.
According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, seals take naps on the beach after hunting to digest their food.
This particular seal napped in Holgate overnight Friday into Saturday, the MMSC said in a social media post. As time went on, the seal started to draw a crowd of people, some of whom wanted to get close and take pictures with the seal.
In their post, MMSC stated that people should stay 150 feet away from seals at all times, and they should not be disturbed if they are napping. If the seal appears alert to your presence, stay further than 150 feet away.
For the seal found on Holgate, MMSC volunteers did a medical assessment of the seal and found it was fine. However, they moved it to a more secluded beach for it to finish its nap.
