PORTLAND — The federal government is reminding people in Maine and other New England states that attempting to take a selfie with a seal or a seal pup is a very bad idea.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration acknowledges that seal pups are adorable, but also says “the best thing you can do for them is to keep your distance.” It says people and pets should stay at least 150 feet away from seals.
NOAA says the popularity of seal selfies is posing “a new threat to wildlife and humans.” It says using a zoom lens instead is fine.
The agency says it’s receiving daily reports about seals and seal pups. That’s likely because gray seal pupping season is going on in New England right now, and it will be followed by harbor seal pupping in May.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.