Hubba Bubba and Friends will be returned to the wild this weekend

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Date:  Saturday, May 4, 2013
Who?  Rolo, Cadbury, Jelly Bean, and Hubba Bubba
Time:  2:00 pm (Be there early!)
Blubber Hits the Water at:  ~2:02 pm (Blink and you might miss it)
Location:  Gilbert Place, on Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, Maine (as you enter Gilbert Place, veer to the left for public parking) Get Directions

Please drive carefully, mind speed limits and be respectful of the neighbors.  Thanks!

What to Bring:

• Cameras
• Good Vibes
• Every Dollar Counts!  Can you help us raise $1000 in honor of our 1000th Patient, Hubba Bubba, to help current patients like Runt(#1001), Licorice, Kit Kat and Skittles?  We’re in the midst of a 100 x 10 fundraiser.  Please, please, please help us reach our goal!  We are half way there.

100 people x $10 each = $1000 to help the critters at MARC.  Will you be a part of the equation?  Bring a few bucks to the beach and make our seals smile

• All appreciated but not required.

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Join us to say farewell to Warheads, Nutrageous, and Mamba!

Date:  Sunday, April 21, 2013
Who?  Mamba, Nutrageous, and Warheads
Time:  12:00 pm (Be there early!)
Blubber Hits the Water at:  ~12:02 pm (Blink and you might miss it)
Location:  Gilbert Place, on Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, Maine (as you enter Gilbert Place, veer to the left for public parking) Get Directions

Please drive carefully, mind speed limits and be respectful of the neighbors.  Thanks!

What to Bring:

• Cameras
• Good Vibes
• Every Dollar Counts!  Can you help us raise $1000 in honor of our 1000th Patient, Hubba Bubba, to help incoming patients like Runt(#1001)?  We’re in the midst of a 100 x 10 fundraiser.

100 people x $10 each = $1000 to help the critters at MARC.  Will you be a part of the equation?  Bring a few bucks to the beach and make our seals smile

• All appreciated but not required.

Need something to do before/after the release:  Come visit us at MARC!  Our happy seals can be seen swimming in their pools.  Our docents will be onsite to answer questions or provide guided tours.

On the other end of the phone, Lynda Doughty, Director of local stranding response organization, Marine Mammals of Maine.  She had a reports of a young gray seal hanging out on the docks of Portland, Maine, and was sending a volunteer into the field to check it out.

Hubba Bubba - Photo courtesy of Sail Maine

On the docks of local organization, Sail Maine, rested a young, male grey seal.  Just a mere 3 months old, the seal was dehydrated, underweight, and suffering from an injury to his mouth, which was causing some associated swelling of his face.   It was decided that the animal would be collected and tranported to us, the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, for stabilization and further medical attention.

What the seal didn’t know was that he would soon earn the title of the “1000th Animal helped by the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center”.   Dubbed “Hubba Bubba” in our annual naming theme (this year is Candy), this young gray seal has now become the face of the work that we have collectively done to help individual seals, turtles, cetaceans since we opened in 2001.

Opening in August of 2001, MARC started with a small staff and a handful of volunteers capable of helping a handful of animals annually.  Over the years, MARC has grown to help an average of 100 animals each year  - utilization hundreds of students, interns and community volunteers throughout the years.  Every animal that we see, each and every one of the first 1000, has been given the best care we can provide – and a shot at a second chance at life.   Not every animal gets a chance to live out in the wild again, despite all efforts to help them, but for the ones that do, we know that we are making a difference for those individuals.

Hubba Bubba’s prognosis is good.  With some solid nutrition, antibiotics and lots of fluid during his first week at MARC – we’re already seeing him making improvements.  He’s a feisty guy and we expect him to make a full recovery during his stay with us.   He doesn’t know how important he is in our milestone to reach 1000 animals.  He’s just happy to be alive.

We’d like to thank everyone that has impacted MARC during our first 1000 animals.  Volunteers, students, community supporters, and donors alike, none of our work is possible without you.

Cheers to Hubba Bubba!  And here’s to the next 1000 animals.

To continue to support every animal that deserves a second chance, consider making a contribution today.  Every dollar supplies a pound of fish.  More contributions = More medications, diagnostics and treatments for Hubba Bubba and future patients at MARC.

New Gray Seal at MARC - Peeps - Arrived on Saturday before Easter

Most of these young animals are arriving to us via our friends at Marine Mammals of Maine and New England Aquarium, but fellow stranding agencies along the east coast are also seeing plenty of gray seals this time of year.  Primarily, our newest patients are being affected with some minor respiratory infections, heavy parasite loads (pretty normal for seals) and dehydration.  These issues can be life-threatening for young animals, but with good observations on the beaches and early treatment once they are in the hospital, we have a good chance at returning the majority of these guys back to the wild.  It’s amazing the huge impact nutrition, antibiotics, and fluids make on these little guys.

One fun fact about gray seals is that the animals’ gender can typically be determined by looking at their coat color.  Males are usually dark with light spots, while females are light with dark spots.  Check out the photos below.

Male Gray Seal - Cadbury - arrived Easter Sunday - notice the dark coat and light spots

This female gray - "Smartie" - arrived on 3/23/13. One eye is ruptured (Left), the other has severe infection (Right) and is being treated with eye medications. She loves swimming in the pool and diving to the bottom for fish. Notice her light coat with dark spots?

We’ll keep you posted on their progress.  If you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by and see them swimming in their pools.

Sno-Cap: Release this Sunday!

Another one of MARC’s lucky seals – ready for release.  Thanks to some good fortune, this little guy made it to the MARC hospital via our friends at Marine Mammals of Maine who transported him for care.

Bring some Irish cheer and join us for a very St. Paddy’s Day seal release!

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Date:  Sunday, March 17, 2013
Who?  Sno-Cap (the harp seal)
Time:  12:00 pm (Be there early!)
Blubber Hits the Water at:  ~12:02 pm (Blink and you’ll miss it)
Location:  Gilbert Place, on Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, Maine (as you enter Gilbert Place, veer to the left for public parking) Get Directions

Please drive carefully, mind speed limits and be respectful of the neighbors.  Thanks!

What to Bring:

• Cameras
• Good Vibes
• Every Dollar Counts!  St. Paddy’s Day is all about the green!  Don’t get pinched – donate a dollar or two to support the program!
• All encouraged but not required.

UNE/MARC is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization that operates the only Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle rehabilitation program in Maine.  Each year MARC treats roughly 100 animals.  For information about UNE/MARC, to adopt an animal or to become a member, please visit us on the web at www.une.edu/marc, or call us at 207-221-4228.  Donations are always welcome.

Harp seals are typically an animal that, at  the earliest sign of threat, “play possum” or become “catatonic” – freezing their whole body as a line of defense to trick their “threat” (in this case, dozens of excited witnesses on the beach) into leaving them alone.  It is a completely normal and expected behavior for harp seals, though, sometimes, it can make the releases a little lengthier.  Junior Mint was a bit nervous with all of yesterday’s excitement and rather than fleeing the scene quickly, she exhibited the typically harp seal catatonic behavior.

Junior Mint "playing possum" - Catatonic Behavior is normal for harp seals.

Here are a couple photos to recap the event.  To see the full album, check out our album on facebook.

Udon heads to the shore.

Junior Mint slowly making her way to the sea

Junior Mint heads back to sea tomorrow.

We’re doing it again!  Join us THIS Saturday to say goodbye to a few good seals!

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Date:  Saturday, March 2, 2013
Who?  Udon (the harbor seal) and Junior Mint (the harp seal)
Time:  4:15 pm (Be there early!)
Blubber Hits the Water at:  ~4:16 pm (Blink and you’ll miss it)
Location:  Gilbert Place, on Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, Maine (as you enter Gilbert Place, veer to the left for public parking) Get Directions

Please drive carefully, mind speed limits and be respectful of the neighbors.  Thanks!

What to Bring:

• Cameras
• Good Vibes
• All encouraged but not required.

UNE/MARC is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization that operates the only Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle rehabilitation program in Maine.  Each year MARC treats roughly 100 animals.  For information about UNE/MARC, to adopt an animal or to become a member, please visit us on the web at www.une.edu/marc, or call us at 207-221-4228.  Donations are always welcome.

Yesterday, this particular call came from Marine Mammals of Maine – who responds to animals in the Southern region of the state – from Rockland to the New Hampshire State line.  They were sending a volunteer, Bill, to check what sounded like a harp seal on Wells Beach.  The seal had some crusty eye discharge, uncomfortable posturing, and was shaking a bit – all signals that can tell us that an animal might not be feeling well.  So, he was collected and transported to MARC for care.

Meet “Sno-Cap” – named for his arrival after the 2013 Blizzard.

Sno-Cap arrives at UNE/MARC

Snow-Cap was delivered to us by Marine Mammals of Maine Volunteer, Bill.  Once onsite, Sno-Cap was weighed and then placed in an isolation room for exam.

MMOME Volunteer, Bill, assists with Sno-Cap Exam

Bill was happy to help us out with the exam.  He restrained Sno-Cap while our technician, Asheley, looked over the seal.  We took a quick body temperature (which was slightly elevated), a blood sample (which indicated some possible infection and severe dehydration) and checked over the animal inch by inch.  We discovered some cuts and scrapes and some minor alopecia (hair loss).

Asheley and Bill prepare to give oral fluids

Harp seals are notorious for suffering from severe dehydration, so we wanted to quickly start Sno-Cap on some fluid therapy, which included oral tubings, IV fluids, and stock-piling his room with a nice pile of ice to chew on (we like to let the seals naturally rehydrate when possible).

Checking to make sure Sno-Cap is breathing, once the feeding tube has been inserted, by feeling for breath on the forearm. It's one of three safety checks we perform before feeding the animals.

Because Harp seals also commonly eat rocks and sand and the rocks/sand cause blockages of the digestive system, we snapped a quick radiograph of Sno-Cap’s abdomen to see if he had any impactions.  Luckily, he was free of sand/rocks – good news!

When seals are calm, like Sno-Cap, we do our best to radiograph without the added stress of handling. Sno-Cap was fairly mellow, and we were able to snap a quick x-ray of his abdomen.

The good news:  After a night of fluids (staff and volunteers gave Sno-Cap a few oral tubings of electrolytes) and rest, Sno-Cap is already looking improved.  Blood values are starting to normalize today and he’s looking happier.  We’ll hopefully have him swimming and eating some fish soon!

Thanks to Marine Mammals of Maine, as always, for making sure Sno-Cap made it to MARC!

This Sunday, we say Ciao (goodbye) to CousCous and Linguine

UPDATE 2/12/2013  – the seal release is back ON!!! see below for detailed event info.

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Date:  FRIDAY, February 15, 2013
Who?  Couscous and Linguine (*subject to change)
Kennel Doors Open at:  3:00 pm (Be there early!)
Blubber Hits the Water at:  ~3:01 pm (Blink and you’ll miss it)
Location:  Gilbert Place, on Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, Maine (as you enter Gilbert Place, veer to the left for public parking) Get Directions

Please drive carefully, mind speed limits and be respectful of the neighbors.  Thanks!

What to Bring:

• Cameras
• Good Vibes
• All encouraged but not required.

UNE/MARC is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization that operates the only Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle rehabilitation program in Maine.  Each year MARC treats roughly 100 animals.  You can adopt a seal by calling 207-221-4228.  For information about UNE/MARC, to adopt an animal or to become a member, please visit us on the web at www.une.edu/marc, or call us at 207-221-4228.

A few weeks later, just before Christmas, we received a second batch of turtles from New England Aquarium to help them with the hundreds of turtles occupying their pools.  Unfortunately, one turtle was extremely critical and, like many other turtles affected by cold-stunning, he died during the first few days of care.  Of the seven remaining turtles from the batch, two were recently transferred to Florida.  An opportunity presented to send 2 of our sea turtles to Florida in another transport/release coordinated by New England Aquarium in mid-January.  And so, on January 13, #98 and #101 (two unnamed turtles that were stable for relocation) were driven to Florida dozens more turtles.

Turtles head to the water

Our #98 heads to the ocean

Photos courtesy of New England Aquarium (NEAq) Rescue

#98 was taken to Little Talbot Island State Park, Jacksonville Florida and released on a nice. sunny beach.  According to Connie Merigo of the NEAq Team, #98 “made a mad dash for the beach, beating out a much larger Cc” on his way to the water.  Our second turtle, #101 was taken to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center for care.

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In other news, on Sunday, January 20th, harbor seal Perciatelli, who arrived to our hospital in September 2012 after being deeply cut by a boat propeller, was returned to the sea.  During his 4 months in rehabilitation, Perciatelli was treated for the immediate injuries sustained from encountering the boat, as well as liver issues that developed over his time in our care.

Perciatelli's Boat Strike Wound - After several weeks of healing

Joined by a small group of volunteers, staff and friends from Idexx Laboratories (Westbrook, Maine) Perciatelli slowly headed to the waves at Gilbert Place Beach in Biddeford, Maine.

He gave a quick look back at the group of people who had come to see him off.   Moments later, he slipped under a wave and swam away.

Our guests take a quick peek at a seal - up close - just for a minute.

Guest of Honor Opens Perciatelli's Cage

Slowly making a break for the water

Bundled up for a cold-weather release. The chill can't keep folks away from the sight, though!

Perciatelli hits the surf

Now, to swim through a few big waves and he'll be home free.

** Thanks to our friends at Idexx Laboratories for support of our 2012 Frolic for Flippers 5K.