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A pretty rare sight -- seals seldom come onshore in that area unless ill -- the seal was judged by wildlife officials from Mystic Aquarium and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to be about 1 or 2 years old and was in good health on Sasco Beach in the Town of Fairfield.
"He was just soaking up the sun and rolling around," said Fairfield Animal Control Officer Paul Miller of the seal who showed up around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27.
Miller, along with other officers set-up a perimeter around the seal to keep dogs and humans away until it decided to head back into the water.
"We responded because we wanted to maintain a safe distance especially because dogs are allowed on the beach for a couple of more days and the seals have sharp teeth and can be aggressive," he added.
Miller, who has been working the area for 30 years said he has probably seen similar seals six or seven times over the years.
"Our main concern was the seal was healthy and safe, which it was," he said. "Otherwise it was a nice afternoon on the beach with people stopping by to take in the sight."
After a couple of hours, the seal began inching toward the water and the water inched toward the seal and before long "he shot off like a bullet," Miller said.
Mysitc and DEEP officials took measurements and photos of the seal for data use before he swam away.
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