Arctic Seal Is Captured in Fla. Canal

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – An Arctic seal was captured here Monday after eluding marine officials for several days in Martin County.

Rescuers used two nets to remove the 6-foot-long, 250-pound bearded seal from a canal in a residential area. It was placed in a marine animal ambulance and prepped for a trip to SeaWorld, where scientists planned to rehabilitate the lethargic animal and release it back to the North Pole.

"This is the first time we have had a bearded seal show up in Florida," said Kim Amendola, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Their primary habitat is north of Newfoundland."

The seal was first spotted Thursday south of Stuart and was said to appear sickly. It was seen swimming south in the Intercoastal Waterway and officials had hoped to capture it Saturday, but it eluded rescue teams.

Scientists do not know what has caused the seal to travel so far south.

Blair Mase-Guthrie, NOAA’s stranding coordinator, said the seal might have been caught up in an unusual current or it may have been following some elusive prey.

Bearded seals often travel alone and over long distances, Mase-Guthrie said. They are also used to frolicking in salt water, not a mix of salt and fresh water.