Young Grey Seal Rescued from Large Net at Gyllyngvase Beach

A young grey seal has been rescued after becoming tangled in what has been confirmed as the largest single item of marine litter ever removed from a live seal by British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Distress Call at Gyllyngvase Beach

During the afternoon of Thursday 5th February, distressed calls were made to the rescue hotline after the seal was discovered on Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth. The animal was found fighting for its life on the shoreline while heavily tangled in a giant mass of net, believed to be mid-water trawl gear.

With the tide coming in, members of the public managed to recover the seal and the net across the rocks and on to the main beach while trained volunteer responders were urgently dispatched. One responder was already on another part of the same beach and arrived within seconds, with others following shortly after. Two off-duty staff members from Cornish Seal Sanctuary, who live locally, also attended.

Rescue Effort Against the Incoming Tide

The seal and the entangling mass were moved further up the beach to get them away from the fast-incoming tide. Cutting the animal free took some time due to the amount of net tightly wrapped around its body, with many strands needing to be sliced through.

Once free, the juvenile seal was given a full health assessment. It was found to have no serious injuries and was otherwise in good health. After being given a temporary identification mark, it was released back on to the beach and made its way into the sea.

Record-Breaking Find

After the rescue, the knotted mass of net was unravelled and measured. It was found to be 30.7 metres long and weighed 23.5kg. This makes it the largest single item of pollution that BDMLR has ever freed a live seal from.

The previous record was an 11 metre trawl net removed from another young grey seal near St Ives on almost the same date in 2022. In both cases, the seals were considered extremely lucky to have been found in time.

Ongoing Threat from Marine Litter

Entanglement in marine litter, including ghost fishing gear, frisbee rings and plastic bags, continues to pose a major threat to seals and other wildlife. BDMLR supports the efforts of communities, conservation groups, councils, individuals and the fishing industry to dispose of lost, abandoned and discarded fishing gear, while also highlighting that more needs to be done to prevent these incidents from happening.

A petition calling for a ban on frisbee rings, which are increasingly being found entangling seals, can be found on Change.org. The public is encouraged to use solid disc and bio-friendly alternatives instead.

Support from the public helps keep rescue teams trained, equipped and ready to respond when every minute matters. Donations can be made via JustGiving.

Photographs in this article by: Frankie Sharp, Gabby Beslan, Lindsey McInerney, Cam Molland