A seal release on Friday, Sept. 13 was quite possibly the luckiest day yet for four abandoned harbor seal pups.

Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Team transported harbor seals Wade, Carroll, Christie and Shelley, each named for the 2019 release season’s theme of famous authors, in the program’s fully outfitted animal rescue vehicle to Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown, R.I. The seals and team members were welcomed by hundreds of community members.

Each seal was initially rescued by Marine Mammals of Maine. The two male seals, Wade and Christie, and two female seals, Carroll and Shelley, were rescued in different locations and arrived at Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Clinic in June.

Standardized care in abandonment cases includes around-the-clock monitoring for the first several weeks of rehab. Each seal was given a clean bill of health and returned to the sea as onlookers cheered.