Eastbourne
Porpoise Stranding Initial Incident Report.
28th
July
Date: Wednesday 27th July 2005.
Location: On beach directly south of Bandstand on Eastbourne seafront,
west of Eastbourne Pier.
Grid Ref: TV 61699871
Time Reported: 10.30am
Call came into Trevor
Weeks on East Sussex Wildlife Rescue’s rescue phone line via
cleaning contractors on Eastbourne Seafront. They reported seeing
a baby whale on the beach. They were asked to keep people away and
wait for medics to arrive. BDMLR were informed.
Alec Anscombe was the first medic on site and
positioned the porpoise and kept it wet. When he arrived they were
holding the animal under water and had been doing so for a short
period of time.
BDMLR medics Trevor
Weeks, Steven Marsh, David Clark, Kay Wright, Alison Beaden, Robert
Bliss and Andy Tilney arrived shortly after.
The porpoise was measure and recorded as 90cm
in length. The sex was thought to be male, but in such a young porpoise
questions were raises as to whether you would be able to see the
mammary slits if a female. There were signs that an umbilicus had
been present until recently. On checking the mouth lingual papillae
were found measuring 2-3mm in length.
Trevor Weeks took
on the role of Beach Master. Andy and Alison helped close the beach
and keep people aware. Andy and Trevor jointly dealt 
with
the media.
An air bed was pumped
up and the porpoise place on the bed. A sheet was used to keep it
wet and KY jelly used on the head and eyes. [
pic by Eastbourne Borough Council ]
After speaking with Alan Knight at BDMLR HQ,
it was confirmed that this animal was dependent on its mum. A search
of the area was organised by Eastbourne Lifeguards using their rescue
boat. Stephen Marsh jumped on board the boat to help look for mum.
Dover Coastguard were also informed. Eastbourne Lifeboat were called
to assist and the Birling Gap Safety Boat called out to help with
the search of the area.
Trevor spoke to members of the public which
had gathered on the bandstand to watch. Approximately 70-100 people
started watching. They were kept informed through the incident.
Veterinary Surgeon Phillip Peer from St Annes
Veterinary Centre attended on site. He took some blood but had difficulty
as the veins and animal were so small. A small quantity of blood
was taken and has now been sent off.
Unfortunately at approximately 12.30pm the
porpoise started showing signs of distress. The breath rate increased,
the heart rate increased and the gum colour started going blue.
Everyone decided that it would be kindly to call it a day and euthanasied
the animal to prevent any further suffering.
The body was removed from the site and take
to BDMLR’s office for collection and delivery to the London
for a PM.
Trevor Weeks
- BDMLR/WRAS
More
images in 'Cetaceans' album on Image
Library
Porpoise
Stranding on Eastbourne Beach
27th
July
10.30am on Wednesday 27th July East Sussex Wildlife Rescue received
a call from contractor on the beach at Eastbourne to say their was
a baby whale on the beach next to the bandstand.
I informed BDMLR and local medics Alec Anscombe, Dave Clark, and
Andy Tilney were informed and a team was on site within 20 minutes.
BDMLR informed other local medics to help and Eastbourne Lifeguards
also helped.
On site medics found a young male porpoise 90cm in length with Lingual
Papillae. There were no neonatal hairs present.
Eastbourne Lifeguard used their rescue boat to search the area to
see if mum was present, while medics tried to keep the porpoise
comfortable and de-stressed.
After a couple of hours the porpoise started to twitch and the breath
rate started to increase. Checking the tongue colour we notice it
was turning a blue colour. Everyone decided we should euthanase
the porpoise and prevent further suffering and even after several
hours of checks for mum, she could not be found.
I would like to thank Eastbourne Borough Council, Eastbourne Lifeguards,
and all the BDMLR medics who attended and help.
Trevor Weeks
BDMLR Sussex.
Report
on seal rescue 26th July Southend Adventure Island, Essex
At three
thirty I received a call from Pier and Foreshore dept Southend on
Sea, they are responsible for managing the Pier (still the longest
pier in the world), the pier train and the seafront from Leigh on
Sea through to the military range at Shoebury. The seafront here
is several miles long and attracts many thousands of visitors this
time of year. It is not unusual to see seals in the guts and creeks
around the pier at low water, we have mostly common seals but we
do see a few grey seals as well. 
A member of the public alerted a beach Lifeguard
that a small seal had hauled out onto a sea wall to the rear of
Adventure Island (a thrill ride park) and did not appear to be moving
away when approached by people. I arrived at 3:45 PM and met with
the Foreshore Inspector, Lifeguard and member of the public that
reported the seal. The seal was a little feisty but armed with a
towel and the BDMLR knowledge I soon had it in the back of my 4x4.
I attempted to inspect its mouth as it was clear it had an injury
to the right side of his mouth, this proved a bit difficult but
I could tell his teeth were all okay! It looked like deep lacerations
to his upper and lower gums and some cuts and lacerations on his
rear flippers probably due to being caught up in fishing line. As
we were assessing the pup, I estimate it to be 4 to 6 weeks old,
the Foreshore Inspector relayed a call in from an angler on the
Pier that had reported a seal caught in his line at about 3 PM.
The member of the public with us reported seeing two small seals
one smaller than the little chap that had hauled out injured, swimming
in from the direction of the pier at about that time. I washed the
seals eyes out as they were a bit sandy and called BDMLR HQ and
then RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Hospital, Sue White in BDMLR’s
HQ confirmed with East Winch that the seal would need veterinary
care when we arrived. I left at about 4:45 PM and arrived at 7:15
PM. The RSPCA staff at East Winch were great and saw to the seal
immediately, I was gratified that he was trying to bite them as
well, so I loaned them my towel!
They have called the seal “Giraffe”
and I got back home at 9:45 PM……End of Report…
Whilst there I found out that the pup we took
in from Burnham on Crouch and they had called “Impala”
wasn’t doing too well, she was on a drip and had a heart murmur…
Bob Archell
- BDMLR Director
Seal
Pup Rescue - Kinnaber, Scotland
17th July
Volunteers
Sue and Paul Horne found a male Common Seal Pup hauled out on the
beach at Kinnaber at Lunch time. Observations for presence of 
mum
was carried out until 17.30hrs. A member of the public had witnessed
the fishermen shoot a seal from the sand dunes in the same location
where the pup was found so regrettably the pup had to be uplifted
for 2 reasons. We can only assume that the shot seal was mum. Although
the pup was fully weaned they can remain with the mother for up
to 3 months, and had it remained where it was, it would have been
in danger of being shot and killed too. Respiration was 27bpm which
was extremely high, it had a rapid heart rate and convulsed twice
for a few seconds after it had been uplifted and left to rest for
an hour, and the gums were a deeper pink than normal. At 19.30hrs
Area Co-ordinator Elaine Roft and Volunteer Jackie Watt monitored
respiration again - with no change having taken place. The pup named
"Pippin" was cooled off with water, and placed in the
vari Kennel for transportation to Laurence Brain at New Deer. A
relay commenced from Ferryden at 19.45hrs by Volunteers Sue and
Paul Horne who made their way North to Aberdeen to meet Fraserburgh
Deputy Co-ordinator Andy Ireland who was taking charge of the second
leg of the journey to Laurences premises at New Deer. The pup is
expected to arrive in rehabilitation at 23.00hrs. Whilst en route
to New Deer Elaine called BDMLR vet James Barnett and advised that
the pup had not been tubed due to the respiration rate and heart
rate being extreme. James once updated on its condition reckoned
that perhaps it had a touch of septicaemia.
Many thanks to Medics
Elaine Roft and Bob Pert. Volunteers Sue and Paul Horne, Jackie
Watt and John Stewart. The member of the public who came forward
with the witnessing of the shooting of seals and to "The Big
man" for the coffee supply, use of garden premises for our
pup to rest and to Fraserburgh Deputy Co-ordinator Andy Ireland.
Also Laurence Brain at New Deer. Thanks also to BDMLR vet James
Barnett.
Pup
Rescue – Burnham on Crouch 
10th July 2005
The report of the seal pup came
in via an RSPCA Animal Collection Officer in Essex called Anna.
As she had taken a call from a member of the public she phoned a
Kent RSPCA Inspector who contacted BDMLR. The seal pup was observed
on the shoreline at 11 am on the 10th July and there were no other
seals around. The tide went out and onlookers put the seal in a
muddy ditch because they thought it needed to be in water. I spoke
to the Lady that reported it to the RSPCA, a Mrs Pointer of Eastwick
Cottages Burnham on Crouch. She and her son kindly agreed to walk
the mile and a half back to where the infant seal was last seen,
wrap it in a towel and brought it home. I arrived at her house at
2 pm. The seal was very underweight. I took it to Faye at 3pm and
she rehydrated it with zoolite.
I passed the seal pup over to
Marine Mammal Medic Cath and her brother at the services at Stanstead
Airport on the A120 at 7 pm. It was taken to East Winch (RSPCA)
and has been named Impala.
Bob
Archell - BDMLR Director
Seal
pup rescue - Kinnaber, Montrose
Thursday
7th July
Area Co-ordinator
Elaine Roft received a call from Montrose police station at 15.00hrs
to say that a member of the public had come across a seal pup on
the Kinnaber stretch of Montrose beach. Volunteers Sue Horne, Paul
Horne, Willie Taylor and Peter Taylor arrived on scene at 15.30hrs
where the pup was immediately straddled to save the fishermen shooting
it whilst they were checking the salmon nets.
Meantime Elaine along
with volunteers Jackie and Ritch Watt made their way to the gararge
to collect the transportation tank arriving on scene at 18.00hrs.
The team then took it in turns to transport the pup now in the tank,
from the beach to the roadside which was approximately 1 mile on
foot. At 19.30hrs the seal was left to rest for a short period after
being sprayed down with cool water following its haul out on a very
hot beach.
SSPCA Senior Inspector
Steven Gray offered assistance to the team to transport it to Middlebank
at Inverkeithing in the SSPCA air
conditioned van with arrangements made for a relay change over at
Tayport. The pup was given another cooling down en route in Arbroath
where Medic Bob pert was waiting.
As the teams priority
was to uplift the common pup from the beach where its life was in
danger, followed by a time scale for meeting Steven
Gray at Tayport, we were unable to carry out a health check and
confirm sex of our pup. It was noted, however, that "Vic"
or "Victoria"
depending on the seals sex had a cataract to the right eye with
some hair loss round both eyes. She also had a red I.D tag on the
left
flipper - apparently carried out by The Sea Mammal Research Unit
in St Andrews who have been notified of her location.
The pup was in good
body condition, but due to the fact that the Montrose team would
have to relocate her away from the salmon nets it
was decided to have her checked over by the SSPCA rehabilitation
staff and if sound she would be released off Anstruther away from
salmon nets and shooters.
A full report on his
/ her condition along with sex will be passed on to Elaine tomorrow
by SSPCA staff at Middlebank.
Many thanks to SSPCA
Senior Inspector Steven Gray for his assistance with a relay, team
members Sue Horne, Paul Horne, Willie Taylor, Peter Taylor, Jackie
Watt and Ritch Watt and to junior observers Kayla and Tami Watt,
Also to Ian Falconer for the use of his watering can!
Elaine Roft
British Divers Marine Life Rescue - Montrose Area Co-ordinator
Bob Pert
British Divers Marine Life Rescue - Montrose Deputy Co-ordinator
click
images for larger size |
pic by Sue Horne
|
pic by Sue Horne
|
pic by Bob Pert
|
Update - 15th August
Sandra Bonar of SSPCA
Middlebank has confirmed today that "Victoria" - AKA "Demi"
who was rescued from Kinnaber beach, Montrose, Scotland on July
7th after travelling up the coast from Natureland in Skegness has
now been transported from the SSPCA premises at Inverkeithing for
further rehabilitation prior to release at Deep Sea World, South
Queensferry. She now weighs 29kg and although she has a long way
to go is making excellent progress.
West
Cornwall BDMLR goes back to school !
6th July
Today, Coordinator Tim Bain and myself visited
pupils at Bodriggy Primary School, Hayle, to give a presentation
about British Divers Marine Life Rescue, followed by an afternoon
of activities on nearby Hayle Beach.
During the morning, we gave an introductory
PowerPoint presentation on what BDMLR does, along with two local
case studies on recent rescues that have occurred. This was followed
by videos of a seal rescue and then footage of two seals being released
back to the wild, which took place during the early morning and
carried out by the National Seal Sanctuary.
During the lunch break, we took the 50+ children
and teachers down to the nearby beach, after which we began the
afternoon’s activities, which included searching the strandline
for shells and creating sand sculptures such as turtles, dolphins
and starfish.
Back at the school, we left out various leaflets
and newsletters, including some promotional material for the ‘Marine
Team’ video/DVD produced by Oscha Productions, for the children
to cut out and create their own marine-themed posters the following
day. This was a very enjoyable event, made that extra bit better
by the many excellent questions that the children asked about what
we do and other things.
Our thanks go to Emma and the rest of the teachers
at Bodriggy Primary School for arranging and helping out with our
visit, Medic Sue Sayer for assisting with the creation of the PowerPoint
presentation, and last but certainly not least, the pupils for making
it the great day that it was!
Medic Dan
Jarvis
BDMLR West Cornwall
(Newquay – Land’s End – St Austell)
Essex
Pup Rescue
1st July
I received a call
from Sue Schwar of the South East Essex Wildlife Hospital to say
that she had received a call from a member of the public who had
found a Common Pup and had it in their caravan!!
I made my way to Canewdon,
Essex and sure enough the little male pup was sprawled out on a
tarpaulin! I health checked and tubed him then set off for Hunstanton.
Upon arrival he was weighed, only 6kg, and rehydrated after a long
journey. He’s been named Smartie (this years name theme is
Nestle Chocolate!)
Faye Archell
- Essex Coordinator
