VIRGINIA BEACH

By the time you read this, Sammy Alfredo could be halfway to New York City.

About 1:15 p.m. Thursday, the little harp seal's head was last seen bobbing in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, off First Landing State Park.

If she follows the paths of two other harp seals released here this year, Sammy should be in New York City on Saturday afternoon, said Wendy Walton, a veterinary tech for the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team. In two weeks, Sammy could be in Nova Scotia.

About 50 people watched as the seal - 3 feet long, gray and brown, with eyes like black marbles - was released. When construction workers found her March 26, she likely had been injured by fishing lines, Walton said. The seal gained 15 pounds in captivity.

"Ten years ago, we didn't see seals in this area," Walton said. "Things are really changing out there."

The 4-inch-long transmitter affixed to Sammy's back will help scientists figure out whether climate changes, population or food sources are driving the shift. The transmitter will soon track Sammy's whereabouts on the educational Web site http://whale.wheelock.edu [1].