“Sealphen King” Released into the Waters at Scusset Beach

Photo by Margot Madden, National Marine Life Center

SAGAMORE – A male gray seal who had been rescued from a pot trap line entanglement was released by the National Marine Life Center in Scusset State Reservation Friday.

The center named the seal “Sealphen King,” a take on the popular horror author, as part of their naming conventions this year.

He was found with the line around his flippers inside Chatham harbor when the International Fund for Animal Welfare caught him and brought him to the Buzzards Bay institution.

Center President and Executive Director Kathy Zagzebski said treating the creature was difficult, as it was one of the heavier animals they’ve treated.

“We were able to treat him for an infection, he made excellent progress in the last few weeks,” she said.

When he was admitted to the center he weighed at 106 pounds, but when released he topped the scales at 130.

When it was time to be released, Sealphen exited his transportation cage and charged the crowd mildly.

Zagzebski said this feistiness goes to show that wild animals should be enjoyed from a distance.

The center will likely release three harbor seals this week at Scusset.