Warning: No More Selfies With Seals

As seal pupping season gets underway and people head to the beach for Memorial Day, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and New England Aquarium want to end the popular "sealselfie" hashtag - for good reason.

On Instagram there are more than 2,100 photos using the "#sealselfie" tag. Some are innocuous, but many look like this:

A photo posted by Mike Swindle (@mike_swindle) on Dec 30, 2015 at 11:19am PST

However, even a quick picture can have serious consequences, NOAA warns.

"Getting too close to a wild animal puts you—and the animal—at risk," the federal administration said in a press release. "Seals have powerful jaws, and can leave a lasting impression. We have received reports of a number of injuries to humans as a result of getting too close to an animal during a quick photo op."

The stress your closeness creates could lead the animals to behave unpredictably, NOAA said.

For seal pups, close human presence can cause massive stress, a the aquarium said Thursday: that means no close-up pictures.

"In this era of social media, if someone is taking a selfie or a picture of their kids near a seal on a beach, they are breaking the law and are potentially contributing to the demise of these magnificent creatures," the aquarium said in a separate press release.

People and their pets should stay 150 feet away from any seal, the aquarium said: "Maintaining a quiet, large perimeter around the seal pup is the top priority."

Most seal pups on the beach will do just fine, if left alone, the aquarium said -- no matter how vulnerable they might appear.

"If the animal has obvious injury, signs of ill health, or a crowd of people who refuse to disperse, contact your local police department or animal control officer. They can then contact the marine animal rescue group in your region," the aquarium said.