Only two species of seal are resident in British and Irish coastal waters, both of which are‘true seals‘ or phocids: the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common or harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Other phocid species seen occasionally include arctic migrants such as the ringed seal (Phoca hispida), harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophara cristata). No otariids (fur seals and sea lions) or odobenids (walruses) are found routinely in British or Irish coastal waters.

Grey seals are found around the Scottish islands (mainly Inner and Outer Hebrides, Shetland, Orkney and Isle of May), Farne Islands, Lincolnshire Norfolk, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Welsh Islands (Ramsey, Skomer, Anglesey) and mainland (particularly Pembrokeshire), Isle of Man, and west, south-west and east coasts of Ireland. The total UK Population in 1995 was estimated at 115,000 (approximately half of the world population) of which over three quarters are off the Scottish islands.

Adult male grey seals are large animals, weighing up to 250 kg in weight and 2.5 metres in length, with the smaller females at up to 150 kg in weight and 1.8 metres long. They have a variable coat colour, with patches of black, grey, brown, white and silver, with the back tending to be darker than the underside. Males tend to be darker than females. Both sexes have a long, dog-like muzzle, males have a pronounced Roman nose - both sexesí nostrils are parallel to each other

The breeding season for grey seals is July to January, with the peak time getting later as you progress anticlockwise around the U.K. coast from Isles of Scilly (mid August) to Farne Isles (mid November). Breeding and haul out sites tend to be inaccessible islands, rocky shores and caves.

Pups at birth weigh 13-14kg and are approximately 95 cm long. They have a coat of long, creamy white hair (’lanugo’). On the Scottish islands, where the mothers give birth hauled out well above the high tide mark often on remote islands, pups do not tend to swim until they are weaned. In south-west England and south Wales, where pups are born in caves and coves often flooded at high tide, they will swim with their mothers prior to being weaned.

Pups are fed by their mothers approximately every 4 to 6 hours, suckling for 5 - 15 minutes at a time. Grey seal milk is high in fat (53%) and, less so, in protein (11%) and pups rapidly put on weight (approximately 1.5kg per day). A large store of fat is laid down as ëblubberí (provides insulation and, later, a nutrition source).

Between feeding bouts, mothers swim and observe their pups from just offshore. They do not usually feed whilst suckling (may lose up to a third of their bodyweight during this period). They mate within 2 weeks of giving birth (gestation period approximately 11.5 months with around a 3.5 monthsí period of delayed implantation).

Pups are weaned at 16-21 days, after moulting to their adult coat (which starts as early as 11 days in Cornwall). Pups weigh approximately 40-50 kg at weaning, which is abrupt, pups being left to learn to feed themselves. This may take several weeks, and the pups live off their fat reserves during this period, often initially feeding on crustaceans and other invertebrates. They may lose over one third of their bodyweight at weaning while they learn to feed.

Common seals are found on the Scottish mainland and islands, the Wash and English east coast, Northern Ireland (primarily Co. Down coast and Strangford Lough), and Eire, primarily Galway, Donegal and the south-west. The total U.K. population was estimated at 28,350 in 1995.

Common seals are smaller than grey seals, with males weighing up to 120 kg and measuring up to approximately 1.8 metres in length, females being shorter (up to 1.5 metres) and lighter (up to 100 kg). They are generally paler than grey seals and more extensively spotted, and have short, cat-like muzzles and their nostrils form a ‘V’ shape.

Common seals generally pup between June and July. Breeding and haul out sites tend to be estuaries, sand banks, sheltered rocky shores and shingle beaches.

Pups at birth weigh 10 - 11kg and are approximately 85cm long. They are born with their adult coat (lanugo coat usually lost in the uterus: if present, then premature) and usually swim from birth, as the birth site is often flooded at high tide.

Mothers are very attentive to their pups, accompanying them in the water. Suckling may take place on land or in the water (milk 45% fat). Weight gain prior to weaning is up to 0.6kg per day. Unweaned common seal pups are nearly always accompanied by their mothers, both on land and in the sea, during the first two weeks of life. In the second half of lactation, they may be left while their mothers feed, either on the haul out, or sleeping on the seaís surface while their mother dives below.

Pups are weaned abruptly at 21-30 days (weighing 20-30kg). As with grey seals, the pups have to learn to feed themselves after weaning, tending to feed initially primarily on invertebrates, e.g. shrimp. They may lose up to one quarter of their bodyweight at weaning while they learn to feed.

Although adult seals of both species may occasionally be encountered on the beach in poor health, unless the animal is severely debilitated, the animal is often impossible to catch up, and thus few are capable of being rescued. Thus most seals that are rescued and taken to seal facilities for rehabilitation are pups.

If you find a live seal

Watch it FROM A DISTANCE. Do not approach the animal.

Seals regularly haul out on our coasts - it is part of their normal behaviour. Therefore, finding a seal on the beach does not mean there is necessarily a problem. A healthy seal should be left well alone.

However, if there is a problem, there are a number of things you may see:

Abandoned?	If you see a seal with a white, long-haired coat in the autumn/winter, or you see a small seal (less than 3 feet in length) alone between June and August, then it is probably still suckling from its mother. Check the sea regularly for any sign of an adult seal.
Thin?	Signs of malnutrition include visible ribs, hips and neck and perhaps a rather baggy, wrinkled skin.
Sick?	Signs of ill health include : coughing, sneezing or noisy, rapid breathing and possibly thick mucus coming from the nose, wounds or swellings, particularly on the flippers, and possibly favouring one flipper when moving (although remember that healthy seals will often lie and ‘hunch along’ on their sides) cloudy eyes, or thick mucus around them, or possibly one eye kept closed most of the time a seal showing little response to any disturbance going on around it (although remember they could be soundly asleep)

If you see a seal that may be abandoned, thin or ill, then call for advice and assistance:

BDMLR hotline : 01825 765546.

RSPCA hotline : 0300 1234 999

You will receive further advice over the phone. If there is a problem with the animal, there are some important things you can do to help:

Provide information. Give the hotline an accurate description of the seal and its exact location. If at all possible, stay on the beach to guide the rescue team to the animal. This can save valuable and perhaps critical time. If you have a mobile, give the number to the hotline.

Control disturbance. Stop other people and their animals from approaching the seal, because - if it is a seal pup that is still suckling, then approaching the pup could threaten the mother-pup bond and the pup may be abandoned seals will react if approached too closely and are capable of inflicting a nasty bite - even the smallest pup can cause serious injury and this is even more of a risk with adults.

Prevent small seals from entering the sea. Stand between a pup and the sea and, if necessary, use a board or similar object to restrain it. Under no circumstances, attempt this with adult seals, as you could leave yourself open to injury. You should avoid handling a seal pup at all costs, for the same reason. Under no circumstances allow anybody to push the seal back in the sea. A pup still suckling is a poor swimmer and an older animal may be hauled out for good reason.

Two species are seen commonly in the inshore waters of the British Isles and Ireland, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). A number of pelagic species also enter coastal waters, including the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), orca (Orcinus orca) and pilot whale (Globicephala melas). Inshore residents of two other pelagic species also may be encountered, the Rissoís dolphin (Grampus griseus) and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).

Species recognition:

Some of the distinguishing features of the cetaceans found in the coastal waters around Ireland and the United Kingdom are listed in the following table

SPECIES DISTRIBUTION IDENTIFICATION (largely after Evans, 1995)

Harbour porpoise	Coastal	Up to 1.8m (0.67-0.90m at birth)	dark grey dorsally, paler on flanks; no 'beak'; small rounded pectoral flippers, small central triangular dorsal fin
Bottlenose dolphin	Coastal	Up to 4.0m (0.98-1.3m at birth)	dark grey or brown dorsally, light grey flanks, white ventrally; short 'beak'; centrally placed, fairly tall, usually sickle shaped dorsal fin
Common dolphin	Pelagic	Up to 2.6m (0.8-0.85m at birth)	dark grey dorsally, 'hour glass' pattern of yellow/tan/grey on sides; long 'beak'; centrally placed, sickle shaped or erect dorsal fin
Striped dolphin	Pelagic	Up to 2.4m (1.0m at birth)	black dorsally, white ventrally, black lines from eye to anus and eye to pectoral fins, white blazes from eye to dorsal fin and eye to tail; mid-length 'beak'; centrally placed, sickle shaped or erect dorsal fin
Atlantic White-sided dolphin	Pelagic	Up to 2.8m (1.08-1.12m at birth)	black dorsally, elongated yellow-ochre band on flanks extending back from upper edge of long, white, oval blaze; short, thick 'beak'; large, often erect, sickle-shaped, centrally placed dorsal fin
White-beaked dolphin	Pelagic	Up to 2.7m (1.2-1.6m at birth)	black dorsally around base of dorsal fin, pale grey/white areas on upper flanks cranial to fin and caudally over back and tail stock; short, thick, often white 'beak'; large, often erect, sickle-shaped, centrally placed dorsal fin
Risso's dolphin	Pelagic	Up to 3.3m (1.2-1.5m at birth)	dark grey dorsally and on flanks, lightening with age to light grey, particularly on head; multiple scratches and scars; no 'beak'; tall, sickle shaped, centrally placed dorsal fin
Long-finned pilot whale	Pelagic	Up to 5.9m (1.75-1.78m at birth)	grey-black dorsally, grey/white patch on chin; square, bulbous head, no 'beak'; low, sickle/flag shaped dorsal fin set well forward
Orca	Pelagic (coastal)	Up to 9.75m (2.06-2.5m at birth)	black with white belly extending on to flank, throat and chin, white patch behind eye, grey saddle caudal to dorsal fin; conical head, no 'beak'; tall, triangular, erect dorsal fin in adult males, smaller and curved in females and juveniles
Minke whale	Pelagic	Up to 8.5m (2.6m at birth)	dark grey to black dorsally, pale grey/white ventrally, white band on dorsal surface of pectoral flippers; tall, sickle shaped dorsal fin set two-thirds along back.

The species involved can be relevant. Coastal species rarely strand due to navigational error and stranded animals often are suffering from severe clinical disease. However, a significant number of individuals of pelagic species appear to strand accidentally in good clinical condition.

If you find a live whale, dolphin or porpoise:

A whale, dolphin or porpoise stranded on the beach is obviously not a usual phenomenon. These animals do not beach themselves under normal circumstances, and they will require assistance.

Provide essential first aid.

Support the animal in an upright position and dig trenches under the pectoral fins.

Cover the animal with wet sheets or towels (even seaweed) and keep it moist by spraying or dousing with water.

Do NOT cover, or let any water pass down the blowhole (nostril), sited on top of the animalís head. This will cause the animal great distress and could even kill it.

Every movement around a stranded animal should be quiet, calm and gentle. Excessive noise and disturbance will only stress it further.

Estimate the length of the animal and look for any distinguishing feature that may give clues as to the species you are dealing with.

Look for any signs of injury and count the number of breaths (opening of the blowhole) that occur over a minute - this can give important clues as to how stressed the animal is.

Take great care when handling a dolphin, porpoise or whale; keep away from the tail, as it can inflict serious injuries - this is particularly the case with whales and it is advisable to leave handling larger whales until experienced help has arrived. Avoid the animal’s breath, as it may carry some potentially nasty bacteria.

Get help:

BDMLR hotline : 01825 765546.

RSPCA hotline ( England & Wales ) : 0300 1234 999

SSPCA hotline ( Scotland ) : 0870 737 7722

You will receive further advice over the phone, but important things you can do to help are :

Provide information. Give the hotline an exact location for the animal - this can save valuable and perhaps critical time. If you have a mobile, give the number to the hotline.

Give an accurate description of the animal, including its breathing rate, and whether it is in the surf, on rocks or sand, in the shade or in the full glare of the sun.

Information on weather conditions and sea state also can be helpful.

The hotline should be informed also of any attempts already made to push the animal back into the sea.

Maintain control.

Keep all contact, noise and disturbance to a minimum.

Under no circumstances, release the animal into the sea before the rescue team has arrived. It is fine to support a smaller dolphin or porpoise in the water, as long as the blowhole is kept above the water at all times, and as long as it is carried to the water carefully, e.g. in a tarpaulin (do NOT drag it or lift it by its fins or tail).

However, actually releasing the animal before it has received an assessment and first aid from experienced personnel can do more harm than good.

Then why not become a BDMLR Marine Mammal Medic and get actively involved in marine mammal rescue around the U.K.. We run regular one day training courses in all aspects of marine mammal rescue. For further details, contact our BDMLR hotline.