Report a Seal

Live seals are seasonal visitors to our shores throughout the winter and spring months. Periodically, they come onto land (haul out). This is natural seal behavior. Please treat seals with caution and approach no closer than 150 feet. If you do see a seal and have any concern that it may need assistance, please notify  our stranding response # 252-455-9654.  

 Please follow the guidelines below if you encounter a seal on land:  

• Keep people and pets away from resting seals! Keep pets on leashes and give seals a wide berth of 150 feet or more so they can rest undisturbed.

• Do not walk between a resting seal and its access to water. If you have to walk around a seal, walk on the land side and avoid blocking its exit route.

• Be quiet around a resting seal! Loud or sudden noises will disturb them.

• Never approach closely! Wild seals can carry diseases and parasites that you or your pet could get if bitten.

• Kayaks, canoes, & boats please avoid close approaches to haul-out sites. Engineless crafts have been shown to elicit an alarm response, causing a resting seal to rapidly enter the water.

• Never offer food to a wild seal! Seals are wild animals and feeding them not only allows them to lose their natural fear of humans but is also illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and could carry a hefty fine.

• Report seal sightings to the OBX Stranding Response Team! Call us at 252-455-9654, we are available every day.

• Enjoy the view! Seals are beautiful wild animals. Enjoy them from a distance and respect their need to stay wild.

Have photos of a seal you sighted on our beach?  

If you have photos of seals on our beaches that you would like to share to help us document sightings in the region, use the email below.  Submitted photos may be used on our website or in publications and we thank you for sharing them with us.

 Please email photos as attachments to ncstrandingpartners@gmail.com

 **Remember to put the date, location, and your name in the subject line of the email.