Pilot Whale Beached at Indian River Inlet Dies

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Images courtesy Sheri Marie Finazzo Suzanne Thurman from the MERR Institute says the juvenile short-finned pilot whale that beached itself on Monday on the north side of the Indian River Inlet has died. She was rolling around in the surf where rocks were cutting open her wounds, Thurman says, and was also taking in water.…

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Baby Harbor Seals Found in Delaware Bay!

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Is the Delaware Bay their next birthing ground? “We had an interesting week with a couple more seals,” says Suzanne Thurman from the MERR Institute. “They turned out to be harbor seal pups that had just been weaned, which means they must have been born somewhere here or nearby,” she explains. Photo courtesy Suzanne Thurman, MERR Institute…

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Harp Seal Rescue at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes

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Members of theĀ Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation (MERR) Institute rescued a stranded harp seal earlier this week at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes. According to MERR, the one-year-old female had a few minor injuries and was slightly underweight but alert. She had been eating a little bit of sand. If youĀ encounter a seal resting…

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MERR Investigates 6 Sea Turtle Deaths in Past Week

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Suzanne Thurman from theĀ MERR InstituteĀ says her organization investigated six dead sea turtles this past week. Four were loggerheads and two were Kemps Ridley’s. One loggerhead had been tagged on Jekyll Island, Georgia while nesting. Three of the turtles had evidence of boat propeller injuries, one of a boat strike, one of a dredge and the…

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Troubling Dolphin Deaths

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Suzanne Thurman of the MERR Institute says her organization has investigated five dolphin deaths in the past few days. Four were calves and one was a sub-adult. Rehoboth Beach Patrol guards found this one around 7 a.m. off Queen Street on Saturday. Photo courtesy Capt. Jeffrey Giles, Rehoboth Beach Patrol The others were found at Broadkill, Lewes, Cape…

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It’s Seal Season! What to Do if You See a Seal on the Beach

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t’s seal season on Delmarva ā€“ and beachgoers and boaters remember to keep your distance. Officials at the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute say 4 species of seal visit our waterways during the winter ā€“ and can be seen resting and sunning on the rocks, docks, beaches and other areas. Keep a minimum 150…

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4 Sea Turtles Killed by Suspected Boat Propeller Strikes

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Last week’s rough surf may have been the reason theĀ MERR InstituteĀ had more than the usual number of sea turtle responses. Suzanne Thurman, MERR executive director, says her organization investigated the deaths of three loggerheads and two Kemp’s ridleys. All were located on the Delaware Bay between Prime Hook and Pickering beaches. Four, she says, like the one…

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Rescued Seal Pippi Is Back In The Ocean

Seal Release | Pippi Longstocking | November 11, 2020
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Pippi, a gray seal rescued at Dewey Beach in February, has been successfully rehabilitated at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and is now back in her ocean home. The Marine Education Research Rehabilitation Institute, or MERR, coordinated the rescue nine months ago. Pippi had a number of ailments, was malnourished and dehydrated and appeared to…

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Entangled Seal Rescued by MERR

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Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation (MERR) responded to a gray seal pup onthe bayside of the Point at Cape Henlopen State Park on Tuesday, May 12. The seal wasentangled in gill netting, which was wrapped tightly around its neck. Although it couldstill breathe, the line of the netting was cutting deeply into the neck, splaying…

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Rehoboth ocean outfall permit challenge dismissed

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DNREC has rejected the remaining appeal challenging the permits authorizing Rehobothā€™s construction of an ocean outfall. The appeal was brought by Suzanne Thurman, executive director of MERR, arguing the construction of the outfall should be delayed ensure the project complies with the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act. Mayor Paul Kuhns said,…

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