Gull Island Seal Rest Stop....

Photos of seal reported by Chet Nesley at Gull Island, Pt Pleasant NJ on 3/4/12, taken around 12:00 noon. Seal was hauled out at the base of the train bridge and would quickly return to the water when the train crossed the bridge. He would swim around and dive at this location and then haul out again. I checked again around 5:00 pm and seal was not at this location and no site of him in the water.

North Atlantic White side Dolphin Rescue.....

Wed Feb 9, 2011, Call for stranded dolphin in mantoloking. First on scene where volunteers from Jenkinsons aquarium, Tom Trafer was first of the dive team to respond followed by Doug hack and Tom Conroy.

There were also 2 members of the Mantoloking Police department there We stayed on scene waiting for Marine mammal stranding center to arrive. The fact that it was on such a deserted beach kept the onlookers away. We kept the dolphin's skin wet by pouring water over it.

The MMSC (Marine Mammal Stranding Center) identified it as a young North Atlantic White side. Once they arrived we loaded the dolphin into a sling and transported it up to their waiting vehicle.

Seal Sitting Season - Say that three times fast....

Over the last few years, numerous members of the First Aid Squad - divers and EMTs alike - have undergone training as Stranding Volunteers for the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, and it's been coming in handy a lot recently. While at the first aid building this morning, the Police Department AND the Marine Mammal Stranding Center called us at the exact same time for one of what could be one of many seal spottings this winter. Four Squad members immediately headed to the Maryland Avenue beach at the south end of Point Pleasant to investigate. Two police officers had arrived on scene ahead of us and were keeping beachcombers away from a harbor seal hauled up above the waterline.

We approached the seal slowly, took cell phone pictures from various angles, and e-mailed them to MMSC for evaluation. They contacted Flo back, who further relayed our behavioral observations. It was determined that this young female did not seem to need any assistance; she just seemed to be chilling out in the sun.

Our job at that point was to seal sit, keeping passerbys at least 100 feet back and providing a little education. Everyone was interested to learn that harbor seals ARE common in our area, and we should expect them to haul out regularly during the winter months. According to MMSC, the greatest number of potential stranding calls in NJ do originate from Ocean County. The field guide provided to us by MMSC was also a great resource to share. It even includes a picture of the seal's jaws, so people didn't need too much convincing to stay back!

After two hours, with tide working up the beach, the seal shimmied back into the water, spent a few minutes close to shore, and then disappeared.

Yup, Seal Sitting Season has begun. We're glad that the only thing this one needed was to be left alone.

To learn more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, visit http://www.mmsc.org/ .

Pygmy Sperm Whale...

The Point Pleasant First Aid Dive Team has had some very interesting
activities in the recent years. This story ranks high among their
finest rescues. Here is the report.

At 1530 hours on May 15, 2010 the Point Pleasant First Aid Dive Team
was dispatched to Mantoloking Beach to aid a beached whale. The day was
beautiful. Not a cloud was in the sky, air temps were in the high 70's,
and a mild wind was blowing out of the west. Conditions at the shore
were excellent and if not for this call, divers would have considered
an ocean dive. When duty calls the dive team responds in numbers and
effect. This day was one of those days.

Assistant chief, Flo Melo, and Tom Conroy had gotten alerted earlier
and were already on scene. Chief diver, Chet Nesley, was called and he
notified the squad where Tom Gormley made the call to dispatch the dive
team on Chet's order. All team members were notified to go directly to
1073 Route 35 south in Mantoloking, the roadway site of the call. Dave
Gibson and Norva Gormley drove 342 to the site. Tom G loaded 347 with
the requested gear and drove to the site. First Aid Captain, Jerry
Meaney, drove 340 to the site as well.

On scene Flo and Tom C were attending the whale with the aid of several
local residents and beach goers. They had gotten the whale carefully
situated on the edge of the surf on the up[hill berm to relieve as much
stress as they could. Flo called immediately for a stokes basket from
Jerry M, while Tom G delivered dry suits to the site and donned his own
for immediate water assistance. Doug and Tom C also donned dry suits.
The water was still only in the high 40 degree range and people were
standing in the cold water assisting the whale for many minutes
already. Fortunately waves were only in the 1 to 2 foot range due to
the westerly winds.




The Mantoloking Fire Department and Police Department was called and
would arrive momentarily. The US Coast Guard was on alert and standing
by. Meanwhile members of the dive team were arriving and this was a
success of the E-dispatch system. Doug Hatch and Paul DeSalvo from the
team had been E-dispatched.

Meanwhile the whale was being supported and protected from incoming
waves and was physically moved onto the stokes basket with a mighty
effort of all involved. Children in the area were asked to name the
female whale which was identified as a Pygmy sperm whale according to
Flo, Tom C, and Chet who are also members of the Marine Mammal
Stranding Center, which is located in Brigantine. The children named
the whale Suzie. We all were doing our utmost to save and comfort Suzie
in her time of need. There is no doubt that humans feel a definite
attraction and need to assist at a time like this. Except for a police
officer, all of those involved were non paid but professional
volunteers and requested local residents.

With the arrival of the Fire Dept, we were gaining manpower to be able
to do some heavy lifting. The plan was to move Suzie off the beach so
she could eventually be placed on a large box truck coming from the
MMSC and off to their center for care. A plan was developed and
actuated to first slide Suzie off the berm onto level sand and then to
lift her onto the bed of the town's pickup. Suzie was 9 feet long and
weighed approximately 600 pounds. Moving her was done purely by human
muscle and it succeeded nicely. The pickup needed a pull from a bobcat
tractor to make it off the beach and again manpower lifted Suzie onto
the MMSC's truck.

A loud cheer was finally made to the satisfaction of a growing crowd of
interested and supporting onlookers. This was a job well done out of
love and admiration for our fellow creatures that live so close to us
in our Atlantic Ocean. A big thank you goes to all who participated and
assisted. The dive team could not have done the job alone though they
were a strong reason for the success.



Several local and statewide media services came to the scene and
interviewed Flo and Chet on behalf of the dive team. We made news in a
very favorable way today.

The call was completed at 1820 hours and the team completed cleaning
gear by 2030 hours. It was a long day. The sad news is that Suzie
succumbed to her condition on the way to Brigantine despite our efforts
to keep her wet, cool, and protected from sunlight. We had done our
best and would do this again in a Point Pleasant heartbeat.

Report by Tom Gormley for the Pt Pleasant First Aid Dive team

Local media coverage here...
and here...

Ice Rescue Training and another Seal save...

For the middle of winter, this was an interesting day. It started when Flo Melo, our Assistant Dive Chief, got a call from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center to investigate two more local seal sightings in Manasquan and Brielle, neighboring towns just to the north across the Manasquan River. Throughout our winter, it is very common for seals to come ashore to rest or nap, but this isn't common knowledge. When Flo and Tom went to evaluate the harbor seal on the beach, some bystanders weren't even aware that there were ANY seals in New Jersey. Consulting with the MMSC via cell phone, it was determined that this one was in no distress and required no human assistance other than to be left alone. When we returned later in the afternoon, all that was left was a set of flipper tracks back to the ocean. The second seal, laying on a dock in Brielle, was even a little feisty, vocally letting Flo and Tom know that he did indeed wish to be left alone. We are told that every holding tank in the Stranding Center's Brigantine facility is full right now, so this was good news for everyone!




The Dive Team then conducted an ice rescue drill with the Mantoloking Fire Department. Our Squad provides coverage for Point Pleasant Beach, BayHead, and Mantoloking, so this was a great opportunity to work with other emergency service volunteers who might one day provide us surface support. It was 40 degrees, windy, and rainy, but everyone was ready to drill. Chief Nesley first demonstrated to the firefighters to how to evaluate ice conditions, especially if properly suited divers are not yet available to assist with an ice rescue. The firefighters were then introduced to the drysuits that our divers are outfitted with, and they practiced helping a diver into the suit. We were
especially concerned with proper handling of the suit's zipper and ensuring proper neck seals.


We then went though various shore support and rescue options for the firefighters. Everyone took their turns with throw bags, the safest way to get a line out to someone in ice without risking someone else falling through. We then demonstrated backboard use to remove a victim from an ice hole, and the firefighters got the feel of hauling the board back to shore. We also might call upon the Fire Department to tend line for us. Just like last week's ice diving drill, we practiced tying appropriate knots for a diver's harness. Several of the firefighters also got a feel of our line pull system of communication.


We had a lot of line to clean, but the firefighters were introduced to the equipment we might use and now know what to expect during an ice rescue. We are thankful to know that one day they could have our backs.




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MMSC is pleased to report that Ilya, the manatee rescued from Linden, NJ and transported to the Miami Seaquarium was released to his ocean home on December 15!

Ilya is released...

MIAMI, Fla- Ilya the wayward Manatee that was rescued by the Coast Guard in the frigid waters, near New York City, and flown back to Miami for rehabilitation, has been released this morning by his Florida caretakers into the warm waters of Biscayne Bay.The 1,100 lb mammal, who's closest genetic relative is the Elephant, was lifted out of his tank by a mechanical crane, then carried over by Sequarium staff, and freed into the placid settings of his natural habitat"...

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Save the Manatee Club has a detailed press release here...

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and FoxNews has this coverage of the event...

Thanksgiving 2009 ~Seal~

The DiveTeam responded to another call of a Seal on the beach and found the above individual catching some rays and avoiding the usual LARGE crowds that inhabit the Jersey Shore during the Summer months...

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The Marine Mammal Stranding Center responded and removed the Seal with the help of team members and took the Seal to the center in Brigantine for observation. More info and status to follow...

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Manatee Rescue media...

Ilya the manatee has made the NY Mag with photos and text found here....

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"He had been in the Harbor for two weeks and the temperature was dipping into the 50s, meaning he might have had just days to live if he didn't stay warm in the ConocoPhillips outflow, where water was 75 degrees. Workers at the plant told U.S. Fish and Wildlife's manatee rescue program when he resurfaced, and they brought in a massive multi-agency rescue that included the Point Pleasant Dive and Rescue Team, who wrestled with the net underwater."
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Nice work team!...

Manatee Rescue...

On Tuesday, October 26, 2009, the Dive Team received a unique request for services, at least in New Jersey. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, headquartered in Brigantine, NJ, needed dry suit divers to assist in the safe capture of a wayward manatee. This specimen, named Ilya, is suspected to be the same one that has been traveling from Florida up the Eastern seaboard in the summers for almost a decade. However, the local waters have dropped below 60 degrees F, so MMSC feared that he would soon succumb to hypothermia. He had been spotted intermittently the last two weeks around Staten Island and Essex and Hudson Counties.

Last weekend, he moved into a tidal creek by the Conoco Phillips oil refinery in Linden, probably because of a warm water outfall pipe from the facility. We met with the staff of the MMSC, got checked through Security, and were escorted into the refinery property. Conoco Phillips dedicated numerous resources to the efforts for the day, including a staging tent, food, drinks, safety and rescue crews, two boats, and a crane. Everyone involved had a safety briefing and the capture plan was outlined. A representative from Florida Fish & Wildlife and veterinarian from the Miami Seaquarium had traveled up to provide their extensive expertise with manatee capture and subsequent care.

It didn’t take too long to locate Ilya in the creek, as the refinery staff had been feeding him the last few days. Although the creek was warm, there is little in it in the way of acceptable food for a manatee, so he approached us readily to accept lettuce. However, once he was lured down the creek and a long net was deployed by boat in a large circular corral around him, he dove. Two divers were in the creek to keep freeing the net from underwater snags, but the manatee managed to find his way out. He wasn’t so stressed by the experience that he didn’t just go back to eating lettuce between our attempts.

The plan was reevaluated and the decision was made to move the capture site down the creek past another bridge in hopes that a smoother bottom would allow for a better deployment of the net and prevent another escape. Our divers formed a surface line and splashed our way downstream to chase the manatee towards the new net location. The plan worked this time, as we could see him testing the net but not find a way out under the bottom. Under the direction of the experts, we helped draw the net in and “bag it up”, this time with a manatee still in it.

Almost 20 people were needed to haul the animal on shore and restrain it on its stomach (a manatee’s tail slap is incredibly powerful if it can roll onto its back). The veterinarian administered a sedative to enable a safer transfer of the animal onto a stretcher and cargo netting, at which point the crane moved it over to a pad by the staging area for proper medical evaluation. It was then loaded in the MMSC truck, and we followed their staff to the Brigantine facility to assist with one more manual lift of the manatee into a heated rehab pool. After a few slow laps, Ilya went right back to eating lettuce (a healthy manatee normally eats 100 pounds of vegetation every day).

He would stay in the care of the Brigantine facility for two days until he could be flown back to Florida on a Coast Guard C-130. Once there, the Miami Seaquarium will evaluate his health and consider release options.

This successful rescue could not have happened without dozens of volunteers and donated resources. Many thanks go to the MMSC for inviting us to participate in this unique experience.

Seal update...

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The Marine Mammal Stranding Center sent the team an update regarding the seal that was recovered back in April on the beach near Brick and thus was named "Brick".

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"Stranded in Brick Township on April 12, this female grey seal was lethargic, breathing heavily and had discharge around her eyes. Our vet Dr. Paluch discovered she was missing teeth and - in place of the missing teeth - a piece of dead bone imbedded in her lower jaw. Removing the piece of bone allowed the infected gums to heal and prevented further tooth loss."

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"As one of the most active seals at the center, she enjoyed hauling out and diving back into her pool, all the while producing a low steady hum that could be heard throughout the day."

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"With both her mouth and respiratory infection healed, she was released in Rhode Island on June 24, 2009. "Brick" is wearing a satellite tag and can be tracked online at www.mmsc.org."

Dolphin Recovery Assist ~Marine Mammal Stranding Center~

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The Dive Team was about to conduct a training dive in the Manasquan inlet when they heard a call to the Coast Guard station from a private vessel reporting a dead Bottlenose Dolphin outside of the inlet.

The dive team responded to the reported location with the use of a TowBoat US unit that was donated by the local operator along with a boat captain. The dolphin was located 1/2 mile North of Manasquan Inlet and 1/2 mile offshore. Divers Tom Conroy and Tom Trafer entered the water and strapped the body onto a backboard. Chief Diver Nesley, Flo Melo, and TowBoat US Captain Rick then pulled the 350lb dolphin onto the boat.

The Dolphin was then taken to the Manasquan Coast Guard station where Coast Guard personnel assisted in loading the dolphin for transportation to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, N.J.

MMSC personnel staff believed that the numerous scratches along the body could have been bite marks from other dolphins, but they were mostly superficial and unlikely the cause of death. The stranding center is still very busy but the dive team had the opportunity to visit the two Seals that were recoverd by the Dive Team back on Easter weekend...

Asbury Park Press article here...

"Easter Seals" Rescue Days...

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It's starting to become a annual tradition when it comes to Easter Sunday weekend regarding 'Seal Rescues" along the Jersey shore...

While driving back towards Point Pleasant after a very nice visit to the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History (http://www.museumofnjmh.com/) we were passed by the familiar red pick-up truck from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center head North...

Of course Chet could not let it go with a friendly wave or tip of the hat...

We stopped alongside the MMSC truck at a light in Toms River and found that they were on a call regarding a Seal on the beach in Seaside...

Asbury Park Press has the following story posted here...

Training Day with a "Recovery"...

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Despite the high winds and poor visibility blowing out any SCUBA diving today, the Dive Team still had a busy day! Chief Diver Nesley set us up for a special jetty rescue drill to prepare for the upcoming fishing season. As people have fallen into the many rocks and concrete “jacks” of the Manasquan River Inlet jetty before, we wanted to train our new members on how we might respond to this unusual circumstance for which there is no textbook.

Rather than mannequins, two divers (in exposure suits) hid and wedged themselves into tight spots in the jetty to best simulate how actual human victims can become lodged and incapacitated in the structure. We started our search with divers learning how to maneuver through the rocks and jacks in teams, being mindful of their own safety while sweeping the jetty in a coordinated fashion.

Our first victim was located quickly, but she was stuck in a tight spot. The rescue team got some real world practice in stabilizing and loading a patient onto a Miller Man board under field conditions. The second victim (who took two sweeps to find!) was easier to stabilize, but we only had underwater or very tight egresses, so it took a little extra problem solving to get him out of the rocks. During our debriefing, two of our First Aid Squad’s EMTs also showed us some additional equipment that could be utilized for situations like this.

Everyone had a great experience in thinking our way through a situation with many variables. Although there isn’t a formula to follow for this type of rescue, it was good training in assessment, resources, communication, team work, and problem solving.

BEFORE WE EVEN GOT OUT OF OUR DRYSUITS, the Police Department contacted us with a report of a stranded whale about a mile south on the beach. Several of our members are trained Volunteers for the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, so we responded immediately to the scene. Assistant Chief Melo contacted Bill Deer of the MMSC so he could direct us with what to do with the specimen

The animal washed up on the beach was a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), a little over 5 feet long. We confirmed that it was dead. As per direction from Bill, we transported it off the beach and delivered it to the MMSC facility in Brigantine. Brandi Biehl met us after 10:00 pm to accept the specimen. She identified it as a female and the biggest harbor porpoise she’s ever seen - it weighed in at 163 pounds! (Brandi said that she can normally just sling one over her shoulder or cradle it under one arm.) The MMSC will be sending the specimen out for necropsy to hopefully determine cause of death. There were some superficial skin erosions around the fins and a few postmortem peck marks (possibly from gulls), but the thin line impressions around the porpoise’s neck and other lines down the length of the body were suggestive of netting. We can’t say anything for certain now, but everyone at the Stranding Center is incredibly dedicated. You can see what they’re all about at http://www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org/index.htm

Dive Team members assist The Marine Mammal Stranding

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Today, team members, Flo, Chet, and Tom C. assisted Bill Deer from the MMSC. A call came in to the MMSC that a possible dead Seal was on the beach. Bill asked if we would check it out and help him pick it up.




The seal was found at Brick Beach III, near the surf line. It was a young female Harbor Seal. It looked like she was emaciated and very sick.. Bill thought she may have come on the beach last night, and froze to death. Not all our seal sightings can be rescues.

- Flo


Marine Mammal Stranding Center Info...


Back on 9 April 2007 the Dive Team assisted on the recovery of a Gray Seal that was found stranded near the Manasquan Inlet. See that post here...

Video of release of a seal by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center