In the summer of 2018, stranded seals began popping up on the beach in Old Orchard Beach, Saco and other communities along the coast of Maine.

According to information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 707 stranded seals were reported in Maine from July to Sept. 17.

In August alone, there were 285 dead seals and 59 live seals reported. This was a notable increase from a typical August. The average number of dead seals found stranded in August is about 38, according to NOAA.

The large number of dead and sick seals found on the beaches prompted awards of federal grants in August to Marine Mammals of Maine, College of the Atlantic and the University of Maine, to respond to the stranded seals and analyze the strandings.

In September, NOAA declared the high number of dead seals an “unusual mortality event.”

Also that month, NOAA stated that the seal deaths were believed to be caused by the phocine distemper virus.

Phocine distemper affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of mammals, suppressing their immune system and leaving the animals vulnerable to other infections or disease. The phocine distemper virus can not be transferred to humans, but it may affect pets, according to NOAA.

Beachgoers who spot a stranded seal are advised to keep a distance of at least 100 yards.

Seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a federal law enacted in 1972. It is illegal to feed marine mammals and it is illegal to touch or move live or dead marine mammals.

Touching stranded animals can spread disease to humans and pets. Also, stranded animals can get aggressive, and getting too close to the animal can cause it stress. Disturbing mother and pup pairs can lead to abandonment and death of the pup.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 780-9015 or eg[email protected].