Fleetwood seal recovering well at RSPCA after being rescued from beach
A young seal rescued from a Fleetwood beach in August is now on the road to recovery.
The male common seal, affectionately named Samosa, was originally found stranded and in need of urgent veterinary care.
At the time, he weighed just 10kg and was brought into the care of the RSPCA via British Divers Marine Life Rescue.
RSPCA staff report that Samosa is now feeling much better, eating fish independently and is almost ready to be moved to an outdoor seal pool.
A spokesman for RSPCA Macclesfield said he is “almost ready to be moved to our outdoor seal pool.”
Samosa’s initial rescue was coordinated by HM Coastguard Fleetwood after members of the public spotted the stranded seal.
While live marine mammal rescues don’t officially fall under the Coastguard’s remit, they assisted by coordinating the response and ensuring the seal received professional care.
“Although stranded, live, marine mammals do not fall under HM Coastguard's remit, we might be called to provide assist if there is risk to human safety,” a spokesman said.
“This is not to be confused with our response to dead cetaceans where we do have a remit to attend, take measurements and report on the finding.”
Members of the public are reminded that if they spot a live stranded marine mammal, they should contact the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) hotline on 01825 765546, keep their distance and prevent dogs or crowds from approaching the animal.
People should not try to return the animal to the sea, as stranded seals are often sick, injured or disoriented.
For coastal emergencies posing a risk to human safety, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.