Who to call for seal rescue and how to help a stranded or injured seal, dolphin, porpoise or whale.
This morning my brother and I spotted this beautiful seal pup on the beach, hauled up at the edge of the dunes a long way from the sea. Actually Fidget the dog discovered the pup so I immediately called him back and kept him on the lead well away from the seal. There were no adult seals nearby so it looked like this baby was on its own.
It was the cutest little pup – fluffy white fur with a few grey dapples and pleading dark eyes. Can you imagine how disappointed Caroline was to have missed this experience?
What to do
Seal rescue HELPLINE – BDMLR 01825 765 546
Where to see wild seals
Visit a rescue centre
Become a Marine Mammal Medic
Seal pup rescue update
Though it was reasonably active and didn’t look injured, the pup seemed quite tired, weak and underweight; those flabby-looking wrinkles of skin are not signs of excess fat, they actually indicate possible malnourishment. A healthy seal pup should be rotund with tight skin and all those wrinkles filled out.
It was very young, no more than 3 weeks old, and should still have been suckling milk from its mother. There were no other seals in sight nor sound and the gorgeous little guy clearly needed help. British Divers Marine Life Rescue volunteers came to our aid.
What to do if you find an abandoned seal pup?
Very few people know how to save a baby seal nor who to call.
How to save a seal pup
First things first. THIS IS A WILD ANIMAL. However soft and cuddly it may look it has strong, sharp teeth and a healthy desire to stay alive at all costs. Seals bite and they bite hard!
- Call British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765 546. The helpline will locate the closest Marine Mammal Medic and a trained volunteer will come to take care of the seal pup.
- Stay well back – avoid stressing the animal, watch from a distance and don’t approach it.
NEVER put a seal back in the water. Pulling by it’s flippers causes injury. The animal may be hauled out due to illness or injury and must be checked by a medic or a vet. - Remove dogs – keep all dogs on a lead and move them well away. Dogs will bark and worry seals who will get stressed and fight back; unsafe for all concerned.
NB Once weaned, all seals naturally carry lungworm which can be fatal to dogs. - Scan the coastline and nearby sea for a watchful mother. On a busy beach a mother may not come to retrieve an errant baby so if you spot an adult seal nearby try to clear the area of humans to allow the animals to reunite naturally.
- If you can, wait for the Marine Mammal Medic to attend and try to keep the public and dogs well away.
Here are the numbers. Add them to your phone contacts now, as you never know when you might need them: –
British Divers Marine Life Rescue helpline
01825 765546 – Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
07787 433412 – Out of office hours and Bank Holidays
or
RSPCA hotline (England & Wales): 0300 1234 999
SSPCA hotline (Scotland): 03000 999 999
BDMLR volunteer Marine Mammal Medics
Within 40 minutes of our call to the BDMLR helpline, two Marine Mammal Medics, Joyce and Andy plus another helper were at the beach examining the animal. As my brother commented, the dedication of the volunteers to arrive so quickly can not be underestimated.
Using a towel to cover the seal’s head (both to calm it and protect themselves from those aforementioned teeth!) Joyce and Andy manoeuvered Ron into a ‘seal bag’ which they zipped up for security, to weigh him.
I believe he was 16kg which is low so it was decided to take the seal to the local vet for examination and then onward transport for rehabilitation at a BDMLR hospital unit in Tynemouth.
My brother named the seal pup Ron – I apologise for his humour! – though the pup’s sex wasn’t known until it was at the vet. Look out for an update next week on how Ron (or Ronnie!) is faring.
BDMLR volunteer Marine Mammal Medics will also help with cetacean strandings – Porpoise, Dolphins and Whales. Use the same helpline number.
For information on becoming a Marine Mammal Medic contact BDMLR here
Seal pup rescue: update, January 2020
It turns out ‘Ron-seal’ was a female who is now called Opal. She’s doing really well at the Tynemouth rescue centre, a heartwarming result! Here’s BDMLR’s Instagram post.
Seal rescue checklist
If you spot a seal pup at the beach here’s a reminder of what to do: –
- 📞 Call the British Divers Marine Life Rescue helpline on 01825 765 546
- ✋ Stay back
- ⛔ Remove dogs
- 👀 Look for Mum
- 🩶 Await a Marine Mammal Medic and keep the public and dogs away
“Wild wishes to to all our Seal and selkie friends for clean oceans, quiet waters and long lives beneath the waves”
Where to see wild seals in the UK
The best way to see wild seals is to visit a managed colony site where you can watch them from a distance without disturbing their natural behaviour. There are a few sites around the UK to spot seals and their adorable pups if you visit in the right season.
Donna Nook, Lincolnshire
I took these photos at Donna Nook seal colony a few years ago – you can get close to the seals behind fencing which keeps them safe and avoids stress.
Grey seal pup suckling, Donna Nook
Grey seal pups enjoying the warmth (and avoiding adult arguments, below)
Donna Nook is a fantastic place for children to safely experience a wild animal encounter without disturbing the animals in their natural habitat.
The Farne Islands, Northumberland
Northumberland’s Farne Islands are a haven for many types of UK wildlife and birds and are accessible only by boat. Read about some of my visits during different seasons – it’s remarkable how close you can get to the wildlife! The seals can be quite inquisitive around the boats when they’re not hauled out to rest.
Countryfile Magazine’s safe seal watching article has some useful links for other seal colonies around the UK.
Visit a Seal rescue centre in the UK
There are 5 Seal sanctuaries in the UK – in Cornwall, Norfolk, Skegness, Yorkshire, Scarborough, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Below are some pics from 2016 of very happy marine mammals (a Sealion and two seals) enjoying enrichment during rehab at the Gweek seal sanctuary in Cornwall. Well worth a visit with the kids.
DON’T FORGET
Save the helpline number in your phone now – 01825 765 546 – it could save a seal’s life!
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And thanks to my brother, John Holmes, for the pics of the rescue. I had a phone battery fail…
I didn’t really realise that such a small animal can actually hurt me if I try to rescue it. Really helpful information! Now I know what to do in such cases.