WELLS — It’s seal pup season. And while seal pups are cute and may seem hard to resist, officials are reminding people to give the pups space and to keep their distance.

Wells Police posted on Facebook a photo of a seal pup found on the beach late last week. Police reminded people if they see a baby seal on the beach, to stay at least 150 feet away from it, as required by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.

“Do not attempt to touch them, pour water on them or put them back in the water. Seals naturally spend time on the beach,” wrote police. 

Dominique Walk, assistant stranding coordinator with Marine Mammals of Maine, said the organization had monitored the stranded pup in Wells before it was taken to Mystic Aquarium for rehabilitation. 

Walk said the stranded pup was a harbor seal and probably about 5 or 6 days old.

It’s not unusual for mother seals to leave their babies on the beach to rest while they go out to forage for food, Walk said.

A mother may leave a baby on a quiet beach at 4 a.m. and leave to go find food, she said. However, the same beach may be very busy later on in the day, and if there are a lot of people near the pup, the mother won’t come ashore to retrieve it.

If people see a baby seal on the beach, they can report it to Marine Mammals of Maine at 800-532-9551.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.