Ice-Lounging Seal Off Edgewater Shore Not Uncommon On Hudson, Officials Say

EDGEWATER, N.J. -- A seal who had to be coaxed back into the Hudson River after climbing onto a patch of ice isn't all that rare for the area, authorities said.

Not uncommon on the Hudson, officials say.
Photo Credit: *COURTESY: NY Dept. of Environmental Protection*

Jerry DeMarco

02/16/2016 8:46 a.m.

Harbor seals are reported year-round but "are easiest to see when their dark bodies contrast sharply against an ice flow," the New York State Department of Environmental Protection wrote. "Young harp seals have also been showing up in recent years.

"Often people suspect these seals of being injured or even dead - strangely enough, that stiff 'banana' posture is how seals often rest."

Members of the NYPD Harbor Patrol unit and Edgewater Fire Department helped the seal back into the water after the mammal grabbed some sun on a frigid Monday, witnesses said.

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