Two Seals to Be Released Sunday in Hampton Bays
Two harbor seals that were rescued and rehabilitated by the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation are ready to return to their homes in the wild. Ares and Hermes will be the first marine animals released in 2016, and the public is invited to help send them off.
The release is scheduled for Sunday, January 17, at 11 a.m.
Ares, a male yearling harbor seal, was found in Quogue on October, 12, 2015. He was dehydrated and underweight with respiratory problems.
Hermes, also a male yearling harbor seal, was rescued on November 8, 2015, in Sagaponack. He was lethargic with wounds on his body, and was bleeding around his mouth.
The releases are pending approval from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Riverhead Foundation will post confirmation on its Facebook page.
To get to the release site from east or west, take Sunrise Highway to Route 24 South towards Hampton Bays (exit 65). Make a left onto Montauk Highway. Go through two traffic lights and make a right onto Ponquogue Avenue. Go straight until coming to a stop sign. Make a left onto Shinnecock Road. At the second stop sign make a right onto Foster Avenue and follow the road towards the Ponquogue Bridge. Go over the bridge and make a left onto Dune Road. Then make a quick left to go down the road to the release site under Ponquogue Bridge. For any questions please call the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation at 631-369-9840.