From sanctuary to shore

Head to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, where you can meet the rescued seal pups and hear their individual stories.

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek rescues and rehabilitates over 70 seal pups every season. As we approach the end of pupping season, it’s fair to say that it’s been another busy one for the Rescue and Rehabilitation team! The seal pupping season is from September until March, which unfortunately is also the period of time in the UK when we receive the worst storms and roughest seas. This means seal pups have a lot to contend with during the early stages of their lives.

“tips on how to protect local wildlife and look after our beaches”

A pup may need to come to the sanctuary for a variety of reasons. It could be malnourishment, that it’s been separated from its mother too early or been found entangled in marine litter. This season, a very special pup named Hope unfortunately found herself at the sanctuary due to a serious wound on her neck – the result of marine litter entanglement. Hope was rescued from Gunwalloe beach by Zoe, a member of the sanctuary’s Rescue Team, after being alerted by a member of the public who was concerned about the pup’s welfare. Thankfully, after going through rehabilitation at the sanctuary, Hope’s wound healed nicely and she was released back into the wild in March.

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary relies heavily on members of the public getting in touch when they discover a seal in trouble, and without this vital help the team would not be able to do their pup rehabilitation work every year. This year, the sanctuary launched its brand new beach signage around local beaches in Cornwall. The signage was made in collaboration with several charities and organisations, as a guide for the public when out and about on the beaches. It includes what to do if they come across a seal, as well as who to call and some tips on how to protect local wildlife and look after our beaches. Supplied and maintained by the sanctuary, the signage is available for any local beach that would like one installed. Simply call the sanctuary and the team will be happy to organise the rest!

Although pup season is now coming to an end, the sanctuary still has lots of rescued pups for you to meet as they make their recovery, as well as the resident animals, each with their own amazing rescue story and individual character.