Seal caught in frisbee rescued and set free
The female was first seen at St Ives Harbour over the weekend
Rescuers have saved the life of a grey seal on the Cornish coastline after it was found with a ring-style frisbee stuck around its neck.
She was spotted in St Ives Harbour on Sunday, and members of the public reported her condition to Cornwall’s seal rescue network, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.
There were concerns the ring was very tight, and could cut into her neck, which can lead to wounding, infection and possible death.
A rescue plan was put together to try and get the seal to safety as soon as possible.
The first attempt happened on Monday 3rd July, when BDMLR was assisted by the crew of the Dolly P Wildlife Safaris.
They tried to pull the ring off by hand by luring her to their boat. However, they were unsuccessful due to how firmly it had fitted on, and a new plan was made to use the harbour structure itself as a way to trap her.
The following evening (Tuesday, 4th July), the team was joined by animal care experts from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, who arrived in the harbour with more specialist equipment, including herding boards and an adult-sized seal cage.
These were set up adjacent to one of the harbour tunnels, and the seal was tempted to swim repeatedly into the tunnel, while the team with the herd boards patiently waited for her to acclimatise to them being so close to her and in shallow water.
This then allowed them to guide her into to the cage that was used to temporarily hold her, so the ring could be cut off.
BDMLR Area Coordinator Dan Jarvis says: “We were all on tenterhooks waiting for the right moment, as it was critical that we didn’t spook her by charging in too soon as if we lost her back into the harbour then we might not get another chance to try this.
“Luckily, she relaxed and gave us the time we needed to rush in and block off the entrance, which was very difficult to maintain given the strong current washing in and out of the tunnel despite being just under waist depth and we needed quite a few of us to brace against the boards to maintain the blockade.
“Obviously she was stressed and looking for a way out, testing the boards for a way under, around or through it, but she did soon notice at the back of the tunnel blocked off on the seaward side by heavy wooden beams which has a small gap in it and attempted an escape through that instead.
“With some quick thinking, we managed to run in and distract her so that she slipped back into the tunnel again, which was a pretty hair-raising moment!”
Upon capture, the ring was quickly cut off the seal’s neck, and she was promptly returned to the sea to the cheers of watching passers-by.
Tamara Cooper, curator for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, says: “Saving this seal was a real team effort and I’m so proud of how our expert animal care specialists from the Sanctuary came together with the local volunteers and BDMLR crew to ensure a happy ending to this sad situation.
“We all know how dangerous plastic waste can be for our marine wildlife, but this is just one example of how our local seals can face life or death situations from something as simple as losing a frisbee in the sea.
“A huge thank you to members of the public who reported this seal and continued to keep us updated on her location as we prepped to rescue."
The seal's been recognised as a regular visitor, known as ‘Wings’, and it’s thought this seal had spent a lot of time being fed by boats in the harbour.