As in winters past, harbor seals are once again taking up residence on the Jersey shore and have been spotted on beaches from as far south as Cape May all the way up to Sandy Hook. Yeah, you think they’re cute and just want to cuddle up next to one, right? (I don’t get it but people feel that way about seals) You may even feel like you want to help out a seal, as though it’s stranded there. But don’t worry. They’re perfectly capable of hunting for their own food and their blubber keeps them extremely warm. Remember, they’re not humans. They are not cold in the winter.

In an article by Jen Ursillo on Nj1015.com, experts are urging people not to touch the seals. If you really care about them, the best thing you can do is just let them be.
In an article on Patch.com, Sheila Dean, a manager at the Marine Mammals Stranding Center has a few tips for you.

First of all, she, along with other wildlife experts, are pleading with the public not to post photos of the seals on social media with their location. All this does is attract people to come to gawk at them. According to the article, Dean says that the absolute worst thing you can do is post a photo and location of a seal on social media. “They don’t need people near them,” she says. “They will run back into the water, or they might bite you! As far as they’re concerned, you are a predator. Also, who's benefit are you really thinking about when you take a selfie with a seal?"

So now that we’ve told you what NOT to do, now here is the proper thing to do if you see a seal on a New Jersey beach: call local police or the Marine Mammal Stranding Center at 609-266-0538. You can call them 24/7, and they will dispatch experts to the site. Under no circumstances should you try to administer aid to any injured seal yourself. If you really care about the seals, care enough to do the right thing.

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