Seal Rescue in Cornwall

Seal Rescue: St Ives Boats 2020

During the winter months, we are not running our normal boat trips but as year-round residents in St Ives, we do get involved in many aspects of serving the local community and its many causes.

Something dear to our hearts is the conservation of the local Seal population.  The seals that live in and around St Ives Bay are Grey Seals.

During the winter months, we do see an increasing amount of seals that are washed up sick or injured.  Some of these are local Godrevy Seals.

During the winter months, the seas can be quite rough, and seals, particularly young seals can easily become injured. They can be bashed against the barnacle-covered rocks as well as running the daily gauntlet of avoiding boat propellers.

We often find seals washed up on the beach with facial injuries such as this one who had cuts around her mouth and head.

In the majority of cases, the seals are found and reported in good time and we are able to give them “on beach care and return them to a state of health relatively quickly.

What’s Involved In Seal Rescue?

Where possible we administer some “on beach treatment before transporting the seal off to the local Seal sanctuary, where they receive the care they need to get them fit and seaworthy again.

Some of the young seals become separated from their family group and washed up on the local beaches, without a little human intervention, these underweight pups would die. Once they have been fed sufficiently to bring them to their target weight they are then released back into the wild.

Older seals also sometimes get into trouble too, and ones that have been checked by the local wildlife rescue teams will often bear a marking so that they can be easily identified if found again.

Like humans and domestic animals, Seals can suffer from colds and respiratory issues.  Whenever we find an animal suffering like this we make an on-site assessment and take the appropriate action.

Minor cases are treated on the beach and this may involve moving the seal to a more secluded spot for rehabilitation whereas more serious cases will require a stay at the sanctuary.

Want To See The Seals Yourself?

If you’d like to see the grey seals in their natural habitat, around Seal Island, then simply book yourself on one of our Seal spotting boat trips. We’ll take you out to Seal Island where you can get a good look at these loveable locals.