With summer finally, beaches will be buzzing with activity – visitors will take a dip in the ocean or simply just stroll along the beach, but what if you encounter a beached seal?
Well-known beaches in Cape Town, including Bloubergstrand and Sunset Beach, have seen many stranded seals in distress or dead over the years.
The Cape of Goodhope SPCA recently shared a few tips you should know about seals before you approach them.
“Seals are a part of the Pinniped family, being only partly aquatic, seals are able to spend up to 50% of their lives on land, which is a necessary adaptation for breeding and for ‘recharging their batteries’ by lying in the sun or avoiding treacherous sea conditions,” the SPCA says.
Seals do not have gills and unlike other marine mammals, they do not have blowholes to inhale air.
Therefore all inhalation and exhalation happens through their nostrils.
Just like humans, they are air-breathing mammals that inhale oxygen into their lungs and exhale carbon dioxide, the SPCA says.
What to do if you see a beached seal
Seals spend a lot of their time out of the water to digest their food and regain their strength.
A beached seal could simply be resting and there may not necessarily be anything wrong – so do not approach, or try to chase him.
- Malnutrition: such as visible ribs, hips and neck and/or wrinkled skin.
- Sick: coughing, sneezing or noisy, rapid breathing and possibly thick mucus coming from the nose, wounds or swellings, particularly on flippers, cloudy eyes, or thick mucus around them.
- Entanglement: from heavy commercial gear such as fishing lines/nets or wires.
- If you see any of the above, call the Cape of Good Hope SPCA on 021 700 4158/9 or after hours on 083 326 1604 and their Wildlife Department will help.
