A dead seal washed up on the Mattapoisett Public Beach Tuesday morning, causing the town to close the beach until Wednesday.
“[Selectmen Chairman] Jordan Collyer requested that we close the beaches until Wednesday. It’s just for precautionary measures,” said Mel Pacheco, assistant to the Town Administrator. “Everything will be removed in the morning.”
According to Mattapoisett Natural Resources officer, Kathleen Massey, a neighbor living near the beach spotted the carcass around 10:00 am Tuesday morning and called the police.
The animal had been dead for a long time, but there was no clear indication as to the cause of death, whether from a boat or natural predator. The seal was missing its head, parts of its flippers, and several pieces from the torso. She estimated its weight at about 200 pounds.
“I can’t guess what happened. I’ve seen seals with big chunks taken out of them before. I even saw one with a spear sticking out of its side,” Massey said.
While it’s not atypical of a dead seal to wash up on a local beach, it isn’t a regular occurrence. Colonies of harp and harbor seals beach themselves in several locations around the South Coast, but Massey wasn’t sure which specific species washed up on shore Tuesday.
“I’ve never seen one that looks like a leopard with spots all over it,” Massey said. She also said that she was unable to determine where the seal came from.
The Mattapoisett Public Beach will re-open on Wednesday, September 5.
By Eric Tripoli