Aggressive seal in Plymouth Sound.

[AntarcticPilot]

That’s a good idea. I have met a number of people concerned with wildlife and mentioned it but none of them seemed to know about it.

PM sent

 

[TiggerToo]

I just realised that I don't know how to give a STAR to threads. This is a great one. Thanks everyone for contributing - very interesting.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Being underwater with seals can be an unforgettable experience. There is one particular location off the Farne Islands where seals are very much more confident around SCUBA divers than normal - anywhere else generally, you're luck if you see one, in the distance, peering at you.

In this place they are immediately friendly, curious and playful. And yes, they do behave like big underwater dogs, body language included.

The first game is 'now you see me now you don't'. You're in the water ready for a dive, vertical on the surface with your head out, and a seal puts its head out about 5m away and looks straight at you. You look back - then sink down under water, and you can see the seal's vertical body (and not the head). Then it does exactly the same, and you're looking at each other under water. Go back up and wait - and it will do the same, so it can look at you again. This can go on for some time!

Other engaging behaviour - you can be finning along under water and you feel a tug on your fin. When you have diving gear on you're quite cumbersome and you can only see in one direction, so a seal has crept up behind you to tug the fin - it dodges away again when you look round so see what's going on. They actually look embarrassed - like dogs - when you catch them at it.

Sat on a sandy bottom, you can wait for seals to approach. Gradually they do, exactly like a strange dog approaching to see if you are friendly. The body language is stretching their necks out towards you, as they slowly gain confidence. This is what is happening in the photos I posted above (post #8). In the second pic the seal is allowing Jill to stroke it - unbelievably she told me afterwards that it "liked having its teeth rubbed" with her gloved hand. I don't suggest that this is particularly wise! This seal got really excited when it had done this, and took off for an energetic display of underwater 'aquabatics' (just like an excited dog running round in circles) before coming back down for more petting.

Like I said above - it is very easy to forget that these are huge, strong wild carnivores, and I'm not for a minute suggesting that they are always this safe - they would be particularly dangerous during mating season for example.

 

[stuartwineberg]

Had a lovely experience with Sea lions off Baja California, it’s a well known spot. At the right time of year, when the pups are big enough for the parents not to be too protective, you sit on the bottom much as has been described with seals. You are mobbed by the pups who try to grab your mask, fingers or snorkel and whiz all round you. Wonderful.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Those who have anchored in Cawsand Bay will know these is a thriving community of all year, all weather swimmers there. Social media is saying one had to be rescued today after being dragged under by a seal, this is apparently the third attack of the type and several others have been bitten.

So watch out.

The story goes that the seal was brought to the area by the RSPCA after causing similar problems in Ilfracombe. If this is the case (given all the deserted beaches in Cornwall) it is not looking like a stroke of genius.


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This is the seal, or certainly the seal that has had part of the beach cordoned off at Cawsand/Kingsand.

 

[doug748]

Further to this tale. this nonsense has been published by the local newspaper, the Plymouth Herald:


"A wild swimmer attempting to 'cuddle' Spearmint the seal in Firestone Bay has sparked anger and concerns that the creature may have to be relocated again.
Spearmint the seal is something of a local celebrity around Plymouth - topping the headlines for various reasons over the last several months.
For the most part, those headlines have sadly been about concerns over people mistreating the seal or acting inappropriately around the wild animal.
The worry is that the more people attempt to interact with Spearmint, the more likely it is that she will end up nipping or biting someone - something very natural to a wild seal - and as a result, may end up having to be relocated once more.
The seal has already been relocated once - and locals have fought tooth and nail in recent months to warn people not to get too close to wild seals and to give Spearmint plenty of room.
There's even a sign in place at Firestone Bay giving advice on what to do and what not to do around a wild seal.
Wave After Wave - a Plymouth based water safety initiative - shared a photograph taken by a 'Wave Community member' of a swimmer trying to play with Spearmint and 'cuddle' her.......................etc,etc "



Truth is, several serious all year round swimmers have been attacked and this whitewash seems to be directed towards deflecting criticism from Wave and/or the RSPCA.

Does make you wonder about media reports that you have no personal knowledge about and how many are just complete distortions of reality.


.

 

[KevinV]

I've always been dubious about rescuing seals - if they're slightly injured they shouldn't need rescuing if they're otherwise healthy, if they're badly injured it's kinder to put them out of their misery, and if they're sick then they were too weak to fight off the infection before they caught it so should not be put back in the gene pool.
You've got to feel sorry for this particular seal - raised by human hand it craves human interaction and obviously hasn't integrated with local seal populations - I can't help thinking that a swift dispatch would have been kinder than "rescuing" it.

 

[Sybarite]

i swam across the narrow entrance of L Eyenort in S Uist a few years ago. there was about 30 seals in residence. the bull seal repeatedly splashed loudly about 4-5m behind me. i did the same back. never saw them underwater, but they put the wind up me.

As a student I worked one summer in a fish factory in Iceland. Late one evening (still daytime) I went for a swim and a very large seal popped up not far from me. I was out in a flash.

I also used to study on my boat in Strangford Lough. coming up to the exams. Seals used to swim around the boat and didn't seem to mind if I swam too.

 

[Sybarite]

Polar Bear? I doubt there is any predator other than a human.

Sperm whales in defense of their young.

 

[Povremeni pomorac]

Good question! They're fairly closely related to dogs (they share some diseases in common, which is a good reason for keeping dogs away from seals), and dogs have colour vision, but not like ours - I'd have to look it up, but I think they see red and blue but not green. That's from memory, though, and I may have got mixed up. But I'm pretty sure they only have 2 types of cone cell, not three, so their colour perception isn't like ours.

I once looked up whales' vision, and it appears that's similar - two colours, not three - but the sensitivity ranges are not like ours, so their colour vision is very different from ours. But for most whales and dolphins, if not all, sight is secondary to sonar.

Lucky they don't drive.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Trying to get humans away from seals and their mothers on breeding beaches is a nightmare. The news item may be over benign to seals or it may be the simple truth

Us humans need to learn to share the planet and not think its all about us.

 

[Sandy]

"A wild swimmer attempting to 'cuddle' Spearmint the seal in Firestone Bay

Sounds like somebody has been watching to many Disney films.

 

[mm42]

I've always been dubious about rescuing seals - if they're slightly injured they shouldn't need rescuing if they're otherwise healthy, if they're badly injured it's kinder to put them out of their misery, and if they're sick then they were too weak to fight off the infection before they caught it so should not be put back in the gene pool.

These and other issues are taken into account when rescuing seals (which I do as a volunteer medic for the biggest charity involved in this). The ethical side is always taken into account and the views of the vet working on the animal regarding survivability.

 

[KevinV]

These and other issues are taken into account when rescuing seals (which I do as a volunteer medic for the biggest charity involved in this). The ethical side is always taken into account and the views of the vet working on the animal regarding survivability.

Thank you for that - I remain dubious, but commend you for your efforts - if we all cared a little more the world would be a vastly better place

 

[mm42]

If you’re near the sea have a look for a British divers marine life rescue course near you. It’ll teach you to become a marine mammal medic so you too can have the adventure of trying to wrestle a feisty seal into what is essentially a bag for life, with the public watching, trying not to lose a hand to the blighter, then have the fun of driving with them in the boot (they smell like nothing on earth!).

 

[Thistle]

That’s a good idea. I have met a number of people concerned with wildlife and mentioned it but none of them seemed to know about it.

Fascinating. Did you report it? What, if anything, was the outcome?

 

[KevinV]

If you’re near the sea have a look for a British divers marine life rescue course near you. It’ll teach you to become a marine mammal medic so you too can have the adventure of trying to wrestle a feisty seal into what is essentially a bag for life, with the public watching, trying not to lose a hand to the blighter, then have the fun of driving with them in the boot (they smell like nothing on earth!).

Tempting, but I think I'll leave it to you!

 

[Stemar]

(they smell like nothing on earth!).

Especially when scared...