students and their families gathered at Robert Moses Beach Sunday to watch as a once injured seal was returned to the Atlantic Ocean healthy and ready to resume life in the wild.
The opportunity to view the seal release was a thank you from the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation for the fundraising efforts of Manetuck’s Community Service Club.
The club, run by teachers Susan Marullo and Kerri Ierardi, this year raised more than $800 through the efforts of students who took part in a walk-a-thon held recently at the school.
This year’s seal, named Elliott, was first located by the Riverhead foundation in April in Long Beach weighing only 37 pounds, with a broken jaw and suffering from dehydration. Upon release, Elliott weighed 60 pounds.
For the fourth consecutive year, Manetuck’s Community Service Club has raised funds to support the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research. Over the past three years, the foundation has given Manetuck students the opportunity to watch a seal be returned to the wild.
