Three dead Cape fur seals were found in the Helderberg Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Strand on Wednesday afternoon (22 December).
According to Lisa Starr, founder of Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement (Hoam), the discovery is not an uncommon sight at this time of the year. She said the carcasses of the three yearling seas – which means they were born last year – were left on the beach to return to nature.
“Sadly it’s that time of year when we find seals who didn’t make it on the beach. These consist of yearlings and newborn black pups,” Starr explained. “We are finding that the seals are underweight and there is a lack of food source. The yearlings which are rescued by Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre are weighing in at around 10 kg, but they should be around 16 kg.”
The discovery follows the sighting of a Cape Fur seal in the busy residential area of Bonteheuwel earlier this week, while a seal was also rescued after it had become entangled with a fishing line around its neck in the Helderberg MPA earlier this month.
Last year, DistrictMail reported on the alarming rate at which Cape fur seals were dying along the West Coast and an upward trend in sightings of dead and dying seals along the False Bay coast, including beaches in Strand and Gordon’s Bay (“Seal deaths a source of worry”, DistrictMail, 18 November 2021).
At the time, at least 20 dead seals were found in the vicinity of the Helderberg MPA and further down the beach within a few weeks. Back then, Somerset West local Dr Stephen Kirkman, a marine scientist and expert on the Cape fur seal, said it had been an abnormal year and attributed the deaths to malnourishment.
“Many people seem quick to attribute the cause to overfishing, but it is most likely mainly a result of some combination of environmental factors affecting the availability of their prey, although at this stage these factors are not well understood. We have to also consider that the size of the seal population may be at carrying capacity, therefore especially vulnerable to episodic prey shortages,” he said.
Following this week’s tragic discovery, Starr reiterated that marine animals are battling for survival due to several factors including a lack of food sources and the contamination of the ocean, among others. “The problem is human activity in a wild space, overfishing and industrial pollution. Some fishermen see seals as vermin and believe they are stealing their fish, but the fish really is for those who live in the ocean,” she pointed out.
“Dogs are also a huge issue when seals come into rest. Please walk your dog on the doggy beach to the left of the Strand Municipal Swimming Pool. If you see a seal, you must also leash your dog straight away, as a seal can do a lot of damage.”
Starr further implored beachgoers who encounter seals during their visit to not approach the seal, stay 20 m away and never wet a beached seal.
DO
- Keep a safe a safe distance
- Determine or pin the location
- Contact Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre with the location and a photo, if possible
- If possible, wait for the rescue team to arrive
- Create awareness among fellow beachgoers on how to correctly assist a seal in distress
DON’T
- Approach the seal, attempt to move it or chase it into the ocean
- Try to put water on the seal
- Allow dogs or children near the seal
- Throw objects or shout at the seal
- Allow others to harass or interfere with the seal while waiting for the rescue team to arrive
“All weak or hurt seals must be reported to The Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre for rehabilitation by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to 072 988 5193,” she said. “If you find a carcass in the Helderberg MPA, it will be just left to go back to nature. If the carcass is found on main beach, you can log a service request with the City of Cape Town, under carcass removal, on 0860 103 089 or https://eservices1.capetown.gov.za/coct/wapl/zsreq_app/index.html.”
