Norfolk's Seal Rescue
The Wash and surrounding areas along the Norfolk coast is home to two species of seal, Common Seals and Grey Seals.
The population of Common Seals here alone has the greatest density than anywhere else in the country.
Since opening our Seal Hospital in 1989 we have helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 750 seals. In the past 12 months alone SEA LIFE Hunstanton has rescued over 50 Seals from Norfolk and surrounding counties.
Rescuing Seal Pups
Most of the seals that we care for at SEA LIFE Hunstanton are young and vulnerable. Many have been separated from their mother and are lost.
Meet Blue
Blue, a baby seal was found separated from her mother on a beach near SEA LIFE Hunstanton and reported to our seal rescue team.
Watch the video to find out more about her rescue.
Dedicated animal care team
Other rescued seals are discovered suffering from injuries or infections and aren't strong enough to fight for themselves. Once our dedicated animal care team are notified we investigate and make the decision to bring it back to the safety of the Seal Rescue Centre.
Did you know?
Enrichment activities are just one important part of how we look after our animals.
Seal Rehabilitation
Many pups that come into our care are just a few days old. They haven't learned how to catch or eat fish and are reliant on mothers milk.
So, it’s our responsibility to take on the role of 'mum' to provide everything the pup needs to grow fit, healthy and strong. We do this by putting together a yummy fish soup, made with Herring - a natural food source. This is mixed with rehydration fluid to help their bodies recover after becoming dehydrated.
Watch how we release them back in to the wild
Once the pups have learnt how to eat whole fish, they will be moved to a larger pool with other pups of similar ability. This allows them to start learning social skills with other seals.
When the pups are ready they will be introduced to our main seal pool, where they will be hanging out with our six resident seals as they wait to reach their target weight.
Seal Release
When the time is right and they have reached their target weight, we arrange their safe release back into the wild.
