GLOUCESTER, Mass. – Leave the seals alone, federal fisheries regulators say: It’s better for the animals and your wallet.

With the onset of summer, an increasing number of seals are being spotted on beaches and rocks along the New England coast. But they should be left alone, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which adds that federal laws make it illegal to feed or harass them in the wild and allow for fines for violators.

While seals on the shore may appear stranded, sick, injured or abandoned, they are usually on the shore for a reason – to rest, avoid predators, give birth, care for their pups or molt.

Dana Hartley, a biologist with the fisheries service, said female seals often leave their pups on shore at this time of year to forage.

“People who try to approach the seals can unintentionally scare the females from returning to their pups,” she said.

People also sometimes mistakenly believe a pup is abandoned and take it from the beach, Hartley added.

“Separating pups from their mothers can have a detrimental effect on the individual animals, as well as the population,” she said.