Viral Video of Alleged Seal Near Atal Setu in Ulwe Sparks Online Debate
A viral video claiming to show a seal near the Atal Setu in the Ulwe area of Navi Mumbai has sparked an online debate, with social media users asserting the animal is actually a smooth-coated otter. The footage, which recently surfaced on Instagram, shows the creature moving across the exposed seabed during low tide with the prominent Mumbai Trans Harbour Link bridge visible in the background.
The video was posted by an Instagram user named 'Hey Goodtimes'. The unusual sighting quickly grabbed the attention of netizens, garnering nearly three lakh views and over 13,000 likes on the social media platform by the time of publication.
While the original post claimed that a seal had been spotted, many social media users disagreed in the comments section. Numerous commenters identified the animal as a smooth-coated otter, a species commonly found in the mangrove ecosystems around Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
Several users left comments correcting the original claim. One user wrote, "Seal cannot survive this climate. That's an otter." Another comment read, "It’s a smooth-coated otter, not a seal," while another user added, "Not a seal, it looks like an otter." Another social media user pointed out that the "smooth-coated otter [is] common in mangroves."
Some users also highlighted that smooth-coated otters have been spotted at multiple locations across Navi Mumbai in recent years, particularly around the region's mangrove belts and coastal areas.
Smooth-coated otters are semi-aquatic mammals known to inhabit freshwater wetlands, mangroves, and estuaries. The species has previously been reported in various parts of Maharashtra’s coastal ecosystem. In contrast, seals are rarely seen along the Mumbai coastline, leading many viewers to question the claim made in the viral Instagram post.
At present, there is no official confirmation regarding the exact location or the specific date when the footage was recorded. The video, however, continues to circulate widely across various social media platforms.
