A newly-born harbor seal pup was rescued on Long Island this weekend after it was found struggling against the surf near an Atlantic Beach resort.
The pup, who still had its umbilical cord attached, is believed to be just three days old and in perfect health. The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation received a call about the pup on Saturday morning, safely rescued it and took it to the foundation's marine mammal hospital in Riverhead.
It is uncommon that a harbor seal would be so close to people, and Riverhead is unsure whether the mother abandoned the pup or was simply scared of beachgoers. However, while finding an incredibly cute pup on shore is rare, there are a growing number of adorable seals just hanging in the water around New York harbor.
As for this little one, the organization plans to release the pup back into the wild shortly. And remember, if you see a seal, don't nudge it with your foot back into the ocean, like this guy:
