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Welcome to our News Update for the June 2022, if you are visiting the Hunstanton SEA LIFE, don´t forget to purchase your entrance tickets in advance.
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Rescued Common Seal Pups
Meet the first common seal pup of the 2022 rescue season, her name is Wensleydale, a 2 days old premature common seal pup, she was rescued from Brancaster beach after being separated from her mum. Wensleydale was first found on the evening of the 21st May 2022 and it was hoped that mum would return but sadly by the next morning she had not, so the pup was lifted from the beach by members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue medics, taken for a quick veterinary assessment and then brought to the Hunstanton seal hospital.
As you can see from this photo of Wensleydale taken on 10th June 2022, she is doing well and currently weighs 8.8kgs. To read more.
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Applewood, a female common seal pup, was rescued on 9th June 2022 from Bacton beach after being separated from her mum. She was initially rescued by Wild Touch before being transported to Hunstanton SEA LIFE for her rehabilitation. We estimate that she can only have been day´s old upon her rescue. Click here to read more.
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Blue Cheese, a premature male common seal pup, was rescued on 10th June 2022 after a group of school children who had visited Hunstanton SEA LIFE earlier in the day, saw the pup on the beach about a quarter of a mile from the centre and reported it to staff. Click here to read more. Click here to watch a short video of this pup being rescued.
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As you may have guessed, this season´s naming theme is types of cheese! The animal care team are big fans of cheese, as part of a balanced diet of course!
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New for 2022
- Over recent years, Hunstanton SEA LIFE have seen an increase in seal pups needing help! In order for Hunstanton SEA LIFE to continue this vital work, the centre have been investing further in the seal rehabilitation programme, so earlier this year a new additional seal pup pool was built to allow rescued seal pups their own space to recover before their release back into the wild.
You can see Sally, one of the resident seals, enjoying some peace and quiet in this recovery seal pups pool. Click here to see larger versions of these photos. Click here to read the press release.
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New for 2022
- To allow for a new seal pup recovery pool to be built, the Otters had to be relocated to another part of the centre, so the best place was the old "pirate ship playground area".
Whilst construction of the new Otter enclosure was built, Summer and Twix went on their holiday to Scarborough SEA LIFE for a few months and then returned at the beginning of May. As you can see they love their new home here at Hunstanton!
Oh nearly forgot to mention, the Animal Care Team decided they had had enough of the Otters´s nonsense after they attempted to destroy their new enclosure on several occasions! Oh dear...click here to read more!
Click here to see a larger version of these selection of photos.
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Summer & Twix chillin´ with fishy lollies on the hottest day of year 31℃ so far!
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World Oceans Day provides an opportunity to honour, help, protect, and conserve the ocean.
On Wednesday the 8th of June the team did a FANASTIC job of completing a beach clean along the Old Hunstanton beach. Hunstanton SEA LIFE are planning to start public beach cleans this year so keep checking for updates.
Great job team!
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With so many venues, businesses and individual volunteers who took part in the Global Beach Clean 2022, the SEA LIFE Trust wanted to share a round-up of all your incredible snaps throughout the 24 hours event in this video!
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The Humboldt penguins have their annual moult during the summer months, and although there will be 3-4 weeks period when all of them will look scruffy, it won´t be long before they start to produce a beautiful new coat of feathers!!
This is an itchy process for the little group of penguins and it can put them off their food, which is why it is so important for the team to regularly weigh them and monitor any changes in their weight.
During the moult, their insulation and waterproofing are compromised so they remain on land until their plumage returns to its best possible condition.
Click here to see a larger version of these selection of photos.
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The Inca Terns (Larosterna inca) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is the only member of the genus Larosterna. This uniquely plumaged bird breeds on the coasts of Peru and Chile, and is restricted to the Humboldt Current. Inca Terns can be identified by their dark grey body, white moustache on both sides of their head, and red-orange beak and feet.
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Come and join Peppa Pig by the seals pool for "Meet & Greet" sessions during Summer 2022!
Times: 11.15am-11.30am; 12.15pm-12.30pm and 2.15pm-2.30pm
(Mondays to Fridays only) - June, July and August 2022
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Katie doing target training with one of the resident seals during feeding time.
Have you met Macey, who is also known as the dancing resident seal? She loves swimming over to the underwater viewing window to greet people and play a little game following your fingers across the glass! Also Macey loves to wave at the animal care team during feeding time! Sally loves nothing better than sunbathing! Nat feeding the seals, and also doing target training with the seals!
Click here to see a larger version of these photos.
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Seems like the perfect thing to be doing in this weather! ??
Some of the Common Seal residents, Macey, Pippa, Lora and Tyne, catching the last of the rays as the sun sets!
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| Common Seal Pupping Season!
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The common seals pups season is normally between May and August, if you are visiting the coast around Norfolk, you may well see pups, can we remind you that they may look cute, but they have sharp teeth that carry harmful bacterial.
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They can also be easily disturbed and lose their mum, so please keep your distance and help look after our wonderful marine life!
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Souvenir Guide Books
Here are the front covers of the Sanctuary´s Guide book.
If during your next visit you purchase a copy, the profits go towards the care of the rescued seal pups in the hospital.
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Click here to download Hunstanton SEA LIFE´s leaflet for 2022
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| If you find a Seal in the Wild
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For over 30 years Hunstanton SEA LIFE has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing seal pups from the North Sea coastline and beyond that find themselves in trouble, whether it be eye problems, respiratory infections and malnourishment to broken bones, pollution-related problems and being separated from their mother too soon.
A quick reminder that if you discover a seal pup that is in distress or alone, please call the Hunstanton SEA LIFE on 01485 533576 and/or the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) team on 01825 765546.
The Animal Care Team are on call around the clock to race to the rescue of seal pups in trouble anywhere around the coast.
DO keep your distance;
DON´T attempt to handle or touch the pup;
DON´T attempt to put the pup back in the sea;
DON´T ignore the situation;
DO tell the appropriate organisation.
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When you ring, please be prepared to give an exact location of the seal, your contact details, what condition is the seal in for example is it alone, thin, injured or seems unwell (noisy breathing, coughing, runny nose). Tell people around you to keep clear of the seal by at least 50 metres, if you can, draw a circle in the sand around the pup.
Remember most often seals come out of the water on to land to rest, digest after eating their food, relax and sleep.
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What to do if you find a dead seal on beach!
If you come across a dead seal, the advice is not to touch or go near it, please call
West Norfolk council on 01553 616200.
If you find a stranded living marine animal, please call the SEA LIFE Sanctuary on 01485 533576 and/or the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) team on 01825 765546.
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This news update has been put together by volunteers/supporters of the Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary.
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