Threats to seals

These are the most common reasons why seals can get into trouble:

• Pollution and destruction of the seals’ habitat
• Intensive use of the seals’ habitat (tourism, wind farms, maritime traffic)
• Waste in the sea
• Entanglement in nets and plastic waste
• Unsustainable fishing and overfishing
• Human disturbance of the seal’s habitat
• Climate change (extreme weather conditions)

The above threats can cause seals to become weak or sick. Another consequence is that nursing pups become separated from their mothers.

Sometimes it may appear that a seal is in danger. This is often assumed when a seal is lying on the beach. Seals, like dolphins and whales, are marine mammals, but unlike dolphins, seals can remain on land for up to a few days.

If you are unsure about the situation, you can report it by calling 144. A decision will then be made in consultation with A Seal to keep the animal under observation or to take it to A Seal immediately.

Fishing nets, plastic waste and boats can cause seals to become ill or injured. But disturbance can also put seals in danger. When seals are disturbed, they quickly panic and flee into the water. If disturbance occurs while small pups are on the sandbank, this creates danger. The mother seal panics and rushes into the water, losing sight of her pup.

You can then hear the pup crying; such a pup is also called a “cryer”. Without its mother’s care, it will not survive. Usually, such an orphaned pup washes up on a beach somewhere, exhausted and hungry. Fortunately, they are often found in time and brought to our seal sanctuary.