Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead has announced the addition of a young gray seal.
Buddy Holly was rescued by the New York Marine Rescue Center on February 4, 2021 after being found stranded on a Fire Island beach. He had discharge coming from both eyes and it was determined that he needed additional in-house care at the NYMRC. There it was revealed that both his corneas were perforated and infected and he was declared completely blind, thus non-releasable, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Long Island Aquarium was determined to be the best facility to care for Buddy long-term.
After receiving immediate care including antibiotics to clear up his infections, the team at the NYMRC focused on helping Buddy gain weight with frequent feedings and started an introduction to basic training. It was crucial that Buddy learn important husbandry behaviors including allowing the team to distribute eye drops, which he will need for the rest of his life. He was moved from the NYMRC to the Aquarium’s back holding for a 30-day quarantine in late August.
Buddy was cleared from quarantine and moved to the True Seal Habitat at the Long Island Aquarium on October 14. As a blind animal, the introduction to the seal habitat and the other resident seals, will happen slowly. He has a private area of the pool to explore as he gets acclimated to the new smells, sounds, and feelings of his new surroundings. There is a gate separating the two sides of the pool, so Buddy and the other seals can interact with each other by smelling, hearing each other and performing breath exchanges, a type of seal kiss. When the animal care team feels he is ready, he will be moved into the larger section of the habitat with the other seals.
Buddy’s caregivers currently work with him three times each day. They are focusing on building a trusting relationship with him, as well as teaching him some important basic behaviors, like teaching him to touch his nose to a target/animal training tool. Because he is such a young animal — it’s estimated that he’s just 10 months old — he is very playful and enjoys frolicking with the jets of water in the pool while the other curious seals watch him. He’s a great eater and very much enjoys capelin, herring, squid, and gelatin, a special treat. Visitors can find Buddy and the other true seals in the habitat outside the front entrance of the Aquarium, right on Main Street.