Navi Mumbai: A video from Navi Mumbai has gone viral on social media after claims emerged that a seal was spotted near Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, popularly known as Atal Setu, in the Ulwe area of Navi Mumbai. However, the clip has now sparked an online debate, with several netizens claiming that the animal seen in the video is actually a smooth-coated otter.
The viral video was posted on Instagram by a user named 'Hey Goodtimes'. In the clip, the animal can be seen moving across the exposed seabed during low tide, while the Atal Setu bridge is visible in the background. The unusual sighting quickly grabbed attention online, with the video garnering nearly three lakh views and over 13,000 likes by the time the report was published.
Netizens Claim It Is An Otter
While the original post claimed the creature was a seal, many social media users disagreed in the comments section and identified it as a smooth-coated otter, a species commonly found in mangrove ecosystems around Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
“Seal cannot survive this climate. That's an otter,” wrote one user. “It’s a smooth-coated otter, not a seal,” another user commented. “Not a seal, it looks like an otter,” another social media user wrote, while another added, “Smooth-coated otter common in mangroves.”
Some users also pointed out that smooth-coated otters have been spotted at multiple locations across Navi Mumbai in recent years, particularly around mangrove belts and coastal areas. The video continues to circulate widely across social media platforms. However, there is currently no official confirmation regarding the exact location or date when the footage was recorded.
Smooth-coated otters are semi-aquatic mammals known to inhabit freshwater wetlands, mangroves and estuaries and have previously been reported in parts of Maharashtra’s coastal ecosystem. Seals, on the other hand, are rarely seen along Mumbai’s coastline, leading many viewers to question the claim made in the viral post.
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