Scientists from around the Puget Sound region are getting new information about harbor seals by tracking a rehabilitated harbor seal by satellite. They are studying a seal named Sandy who was found on the beach in West Seattle last August and released to the wild at the end of January.

At the time she was found, Sandy was extremely weak and barely responsive, with numerous infected wounds. She was severely dehydrated and malnourished to the point of emaciation.

Sandy was sent to the PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center  for stabilization, treatment and care. She stayed there for five months, and was released on January 27, 2012 near McNeil Island at a spot where other seals haul out.

Sandy has been outfitted with a tracking device that pings her location to a satellite, allowing her travels to be plotted on a map. This is the first time a seal in this age class has been tracked by satellite in Washington State, and the project is expected to provide important data about these marine mammals.

To see the tracking map, which is updated daily, go to http://www.seadocsociety.org and look for “Tracking Sandy the Seal” in the sidebar.

According to Joe Gaydos, a wildlife veterinarian and the Regional Director of the SeaDoc Society, this project is “an excellent example of how well different agencies and organizations in the northwest region work together.”

Find out more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Network at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/marine-mammals/stranding-information.cfm

This project is made possible through the collaboration of the Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations, SeaDoc Society, and NOAA’s Protected Resources Division.