Arcadia, a grey seal pup rescued from the sands of Ocean City just weeks after birth, is swimming free once again.

The National Aquarium‘s Animal Rescue team released Arcadia back into the Atlantic Ocean at Assateague Island State Park on Thursday after more than two months of rehabilitation. Officials also said Arcadia holds a special place in the organization’s history as the youngest seal the aquarium has ever treated and returned to the wild.

When rescuers found Arcadia on March 13, the tiny pup was in rough shape — emaciated and suffering from multiple injuries, including an infected puncture wound, eye infection and oral trauma.

At just a few weeks old, she was considered maternally dependent. After receiving emergency triage at the aquarium‘s Stranding Response Center in Ocean City, Arcadia was transferred to the Animal Care and Rescue Center in Baltimore for long-term treatment.

There, she not only healed but also learned to swim and hunt on her own.

Now healthy and self-sufficient, Arcadia was outfitted with a satellite tag prior to release, allowing researchers to monitor her journey and better understand seal migration patterns along the East Coast.

The tag will naturally fall off when she sheds during her next seasonal change.

Her name, Arcadia, follows the aquarium‘s 2024 tradition of naming rescued animals after Baltimore neighborhoods — in this case, the one bordering Herring Run Park.

Two more seals, Evergreen and Remington, are undergoing care at the aquarium‘s Baltimore facility. Arcadia joins Woodberry and Waverly, who were released successfully in April.

Every seal must meet strict criteria before release: weigh at least 25 kilograms, demonstrate independent swimming and feeding behaviors, and be cleared as healthy and infection free through testing approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

National Aquarium Animal Rescue is federally permitted by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to respond to sick and injured sea turtles and marine mammals along Maryland’s 3,190 miles of coastline. It works with the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute in Lewes, Delaware, and other organizations to rescue seals, sea turtles and other marine mammals stranded along the Delmarva coast.

If you see a seal stranded on a beach in this region, keep a safe distance and call the Stranded Animal Hotline at 410-576-3880.