Animals - Seal wallows in the Oder at Schwedt
For several days now, apparently a seal is actively present in the Oder at Schwedt. There have been several sightings by visitors and anglers in the National Park Unteres Odertal in the past week, according to a park spokesperson. The nature watch then became active and sent photos and videos of this unusual guest to the Maritime Museum in Stralsund.
The marine biologists in Stralsund consider it likely that this is a seal. A young gray seal is also possible - although unlikely, according to a museum spokesperson. "From its appearance, we lean more towards a seal, but from its distribution area, it is rather a gray seal." Young gray seals can look very similar to seals in terms of fur.
The location is "very unusual," according to the spokesperson. "That's why we're also very interested in this sighting." Seals occasionally go into fresh water, but this has rarely been observed in these latitudes. The change in water type does not pose a problem for seals per se. Food is also available.
According to the National Park, the last record of a similar animal is more than ten years old. In 2012, a gray seal was documented in the Oder at Schwedt.
The unusual guest in the Oder at Schwedt has caught the attention of nature enthusiasts beyond the National Park, with detection efforts extending to Brandenburg's Maritime Museum in Stralsund. The museum's marine biologists are intrigued by this level of interaction between seals and freshwater environments, a phenomenon seldom observed in these northern latitudes.
