Watch these Maine lobstermen free a young seal trapped in netting

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Now that it’s summer, lobsterman Jeff Dorr and his team are finding more debris — such as seaweed, driftwood, and plastic — while fishing off the coast of Maine.

On Friday, that debris included a young harbor seal. And a video of Dorr and a partner freeing the animal from plastic netting has now been viewed on Facebook more than a half million times.

The rescue took place 25 miles from the town of Owls Head, according to Dorr. He said he and a partner came across the seal stuck in a clump of plastic from a ground fishing net. They then brought the seal onto their boat, he said, and cut away the plastic before returning it to the water.

Lynda Doughty, the executive director of Marine Mammals of Maine, a rescue nonprofit, told Boston.com Monday that it’s common to see young seals this time of year. They have recently left their mothers, she said, and are more likely to require assistance because of their youth.

“Young animals are more curious,” she said. “They get into things sometimes.”

Marine Mammals of Maine performed a similar disentanglement a few weeks ago, according to Doughty. The organization encourages people who find a trapped animal to call them so that their rescue teams can not only free the animal, but also perform essential health checks.

Marine Mammals of Maine wasn’t involved in Friday’s rescue, but Doughty said the seal’s behavior is a positive sign.

“The animal seemed vocal and alert, which is a good,” she said.