Urgent Warning Issued as Seals Return to Walney
People visiting Walney’s coastline are being urged to keep their distance from seals as more of the animals begin returning to the island’s beaches.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust has issued an urgent warning asking walkers, photographers and other visitors not to approach seals resting on the shore.
Members of the public have been advised to stay at least 200 metres away wherever possible. Dogs should also be kept under close control and must not be allowed to chase or approach the animals.
Why Do Seals Rest on the Beach?
Although seals spend much of their lives in the sea, they need to come ashore to rest, warm up and conserve energy. A seal lying on the beach is not necessarily injured or stranded.
Approaching a resting seal can cause it to panic and return to the water before it is ready. This uses valuable energy and may place the animal at further risk.
Seals are wild animals and can also defend themselves if they feel trapped or threatened. Visitors should never attempt to touch, feed or move one.
Seal Pups Are Particularly Vulnerable
South Walney Nature Reserve is home to Cumbria’s only grey seal breeding colony. It is also the only place in the county where grey seals regularly gather on land in large numbers.
Young pups are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. If people or dogs get too close, a mother may become frightened and move away from her pup. Repeated disturbance can prevent pups from feeding and, in serious cases, may lead to abandonment.
Visitors should leave the area calmly if a seal raises its head, watches them closely or begins moving towards the water. These can all be signs that the animal feels threatened.
Strictly No Access to Seal Beaches
Cumbria Wildlife Trust has reminded visitors that there is strictly no public access to the beaches where seals gather within South Walney Nature Reserve.
The seals can instead be watched from designated hides and paths without entering their protected resting area. They are often visible in the surrounding water at high tide.
Dogs are not allowed inside South Walney Nature Reserve, apart from assistance dogs.
People using kayaks, boats or jet skis around the island should also give the colony plenty of space. Noise and vessels travelling too close to the shore can disturb seals even when nobody lands on the beach.
What to Do If You Find a Seal
Anyone who finds a seal resting elsewhere on Walney should observe it from a distance and keep other people and animals away.
Healthy seals should be left alone and must not be pushed or chased back into the sea. Anyone concerned that a seal may be injured, entangled or in genuine distress should contact an appropriate wildlife rescue organisation for advice.
More information about the colony and visiting the reserve safely is available from Cumbria Wildlife Trust
