We are now well into the Grey Pupping Season with Pups being born on Craigleith, Isle of May and down to the Farne Islands.
Grey seal pups are maternally dependant on their mother for the first 3-4 weeks when they will gain weight, start to shed their fluffy white coat then go off into the water to feed for themselves. Sadly mothers can abandon their pups, this can be due to illness, entanglement in the water, unable to get back to their pup and human interference. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) are the only Charity who actively attend rescues and we have local medics in the area who are called upon 24/7, 365 days per year to stranding’s of seal pups, beached porpoises, dolphins & whales.
If you find a marine mammal on our beaches please call BDMLR Hotline 01825 765546 and a local medic will attend and assess the situation.
If you come across a seal pup on the beach please do not touch it as the mother will certainly abandon it as it the pup will contain your smell. Please keep dogs on a lead, if your dog gets bitten by a seal you are looking at an expensive trip to the vet. Please do not let children near the pup, Seal Pups Will Bite however cute they look. Please do not take selfies with the seal or drag it back into the water, you are likely to get bitten and the pup may drown as their coat is not waterproof until they moult. All of these reasons stress the pup and they will get aggressive.
It helps BDMLR greatly if you can give us as much information on the area such as landmarks, grid reference or What3Words app, this information allows us to get the exact location and attend to the mammal as quickly as possible. Corinne Gordon, Area Coordinator for BDMLR said “all seal pups we rescue on our beaches are given the best of care and taken to a rehab facility where they are cared for until healthy enough to be introduced back out to sea”.
We receive great support from the local community through Facebook, talking to the public on the beach and having our charity collection cans in the area for which we are extremely grateful. Raising funds enables us to purchase vital equipment we require, however, sadly due to Corona Virus we have been unable to carry out fundraising events this year. We are very grateful for all donations we receive and this can be done through www.justgiving.com/campaign/BDMLRedinburgh.
If anyone is interested in volunteering or finding out more about what we do please have a look at our website www.bdmlr.org.uk . It is an amazing charity, one that I have been involved in for the past few years, taking part in talks, events, raising funds, teaching and being an ambassador for BDMLR wherever I can. We are all so hopeful Covid-19 will pass quickly and we can get more of the public involved in what we do such as take part in beach cleans which is vital to our environment and its marine wildlife. Stay safe, stay healthy, take responsibility for our area and we will continue to have amazing beaches we can all enjoy.
