Smile and relax! Seal finds a warm spot aboard a dinghy to soak up the sun

By Daniel Miller


..This seal looked the very picture of contentment grinning from ear to ear when it was spotted enjoying a bask in the sun.

The ingenious animal had lifted himself out of the cold water and found a warm spot on an abandoned dinghy close to the shore.

The adorable pictures were captured by amateur photographer Mike Arthur as he enjoyed a stroll along the beach in Wells, Norfolk.

Sealed with a kip: This sun-loving seal looks the picture of contentment as he enjoys a bask in the sun in Wells, Norfolk

The 67-year-old retired personnel manager, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, said the seal caused quite a sensation among walkers on the beach.

He added: 'It was an exceptionally bright and warm day and the seal was simply enjoying it.

'At first people were just walking along the path next to the where the dinghy was and they didn’t even notice him.


Life's a beach: The animal had lifted himself out of the cold water and found a warm spot on an abandoned dinghy close to the shore

What's going on:The adorable animal is woken from his slumber aboard the abandoned dinghy

'I only spotted him because I was looking for boats to photograph.

'I’ve never seen anything like it before. Usually seals can be seen just bobbing along in the water.

'I was only about 10 feet away from him.

'I went for a stroll along the beach and when I came back he was still there.

Curious: The sun-loving animal had gone unnoticed until amateur photographer Mike Arthur spotted him as he enjoyed a stroll along the beach

'By that time there was a huge number of people who had gathered to have a look at him.

'He was there at least an hour and seemed quite unfazed by the attention he was getting.

'In one picture he looks like he’s smiling and in another he’s staring out towards the camera with a look of curiosity.

'I think he was watching us as much as we were watching him.

'Everybody was smiling. It was such a happy scene.'


source:dailymail

Pipe and flippers, sir? Seal makes himself comfy on the sofa (after getting in through the cat flap)

By Daily Mail Reporter


A cheeky baby seal wriggled through the cat flap of a house before making himself comfy on the sofa.

The stunned owner of the house, Annette Swoffer, thought she was hallucinating when she found the pup in her kitchen, hanging out with her cats.

It had made its way from the waterfront at Welcome Bay, New Zealand, through residential streets, across a busy road, and up some steps.

'I was in my office and I heard an awful racket down below,' Miss Swoffer tolf the Bay Of Plenty Times.

'I thought the cats have brought a rabbit or something in so I went down and had a look - and there's a seal in my kitchen.

'I thought "I'm hallucinating, this is just wrong".

'I'm looking and I'm definitely seeing flippers and not paws.'

Miss Swoffer called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - who struggled to believe her at first.

'They were giggling away and I'm saying "I'm not drunk, I'm not lying, there's a seal in my house",' said Miss Swoffer.


Shock: The owner of the house thought she was hallucinating when she saw the pup in her house. It had made its way from the bay, across a busy road and up some steps


Settling in for the night: The brave seal calmly made his way past the homeowner's cats and dogs to snuggle on the sofa. It's thought he had only recently been weaned from his mother


Meanwhile, the seal had calmly eased himself past Miss Swoffer's dog and cats onto the sofa and was attempting to snuggle in for the night.

The SPCA contacted the Department of Conservation - which said it was already on the look-out for the seal after reports one was on the loose.

An officer, who said he thought the seal had been only recently weaned from its mother, caught the pup in a net and put it in a box.

The cheeky seal wasn't done, however, and while being driven down to the harbour for release, managed to break free and wriggle onto the front seat of the van, turning on the radio in the process.


source:dailymail

Loneliest seal in the world, shunned by her colony for being ginger, is now the centre of attention at Russian zoo... and loving it

By Will Stewart


Star attraction: Happy in her new home at the Akvatoria 'dolphinarium' in Russia, ginger seal Nafanya is quickly becoming a hit with tourists


Things are looking up for the little ginger-coloured seal pup whose fate touched the world after being rejected by the rest of its sleek black family.

Left as an outcast, the vulnerable creature was found huddling under a pile of logs on Tyuleniy Island in the far east of Russia.

Photographer Anatoly Strakhov, 61, took heartbreaking pictures of the world's loneliest seal, which would have been unable to survive in the wild.

Heartbreaker: Anatoly Strakhov's shot of the shunned seal melted the hearts of animal lovers worldwide


Two months on and Russians have taken the rare albino seal - who turns out to be female - to their hearts.

Named Nafanya - after a lookalike Soviet cartoon character - the seal was given VIP treatment and has now moved into a plush new home at the country's leading aqauarium.

Nafanya was taken on a 7,890-mile odyssey to the Russian mainland and then by special plane to Adler, near Sochi on the Black Sea coast, where she is rapidly becoming a star attraction.

Yulia Frolova, head of the Akvatoria dolphinarium - Nafanya's new home, said: 'She now has a special enclosure with a pool, and two weeks after her arrival, people are already coming to see her.

And, quickly adapting to life among humans, the seal has her own live webcam so her worldwide fans can follow her - http://www.nafanya-sochi.ru/ - which broadcasts between 7am and 1pm UK time.

Miss Frolova said: 'She has a good appetite, and always seems in a happy mood. She is such an unusual seal with very beautiful bright blue eyes. When she arrived, she was tired after the long flight, but soon picked up her appetite.'


What's in a name? The seal bears a striking resemblance to Nafanya, a Soviet-era cartoon character

Still lonely: Nafanya can't shrug off the title as 'loneliest seal in the world' yet, as she has to be kept in quarantine for a month before joining other seals at the aquarium


Experts at the dolphinarium say Nafanya's eyesight is not as poor as at first feared. Originally thought to be almost blind, it turns out she only has trouble seeing in bright sunlight. And, given her celebrity status, some dark sunglasses may not be a bad idea.

Her keepers say she loves being the centre of attention, and Ms Frolova added: 'She has a playful nature. She loves to play with her toy - a small blue ball.

'But what she likes the most its to play with a fish at feeding time. She will follow it, catch it, put it in her mouth, release it and finally eat it.

'Nafanya is such a lovely animal and is certainly not afraid of people.'

But she might have to wait a little longer before she finally shrugs off the 'loneliest seal in the worl' monicker.

Ms Frolova explained: 'We cannot yet let her swim with our other creatures as she is on a month-long quarantine, but we will do later. We will make sure she has a happy life in our dolphinarium.'


source:dailymail

I'm a real seal pup! Sea creature goes swimming with two doggy friends

By Ted Thornhill


Sealing the friendship: The marine mammal was desperate to join in the fun


This is the extraordinary moment a cheeky seal pup tailed two dogs while they were having a swim - before trying to join in on their fun.

Playful dogs Bolle and Coco were busy cooling off in the sea after a long walk when behind them a mysterious shape appeared to follow them.

And when the adventurous seal decided he wanted to take the lead and join them splashing around, Coco looked stunned as she came face-to-face with the pup.


The incredible scene was captured by keen photographer Anneke van de Kassteele, from the Netherlands, who couldn't believe her eyes as the bizarre moment unfolded.

Anneke, 63, said: ‘We'd been for a long walk across the beaches of Schouwen-Duiveland so I let the dogs go for a cool down in the water.

‘They were only about 15 metres from the shoreline when I spotted another animal. I assumed it was another dog but when I looked closer I realised it was a seal.

Water heart-warming sight: The dog suddenly realises that he's being followed


‘They were playing together in a special way getting so close and then diving away under the dogs and away from them.

‘Then if the dogs swam away the seal would make a little noise to get their attention.
‘The little seal wasn't afraid of the dogs and wanted to get to know each other - they were really excited.’


Making a splash: The seal frolics with the bemused dog



source:dailymail

Tiny seal pup is nursed back to health after rescuers find it abandoned and shivering in aftermath of huge storm

By Mary Mcconnell



Orphaned: Barnacle the seal pup was found clinging to rocks after being injured during last week's storms


A cute grey seal found clinging to rocks after being orphaned during last week's gales and torrential rain is being nursed back to health.

The tiny all-white seal was found cowering and shivering after storms battered its breeding grounds, separating it from its mother on the Channel Island of Jersey.

Too young to fend for itself, the week old pup - nicknamed Barnacle - was taken in before being flown to an RSPCA animal centre, where it was yesterday being nursed back to full health.


Shivering: The seal was found clinging to rocks in the Channel Islands


Rescue: The seal was taken from Jersey to an animal rescue centre in Taunton, Somerset

The West Hatch Animal Centre in Taunton, Somerset, takes rescued animals from all around the UK and has specialist facilities for seals.

Vet David Cooper said: 'It's likely the animal was separated from its mother due to heavy storms. 'Barnie was bought in with a cuts and abrasions, including one to its chin, but is looking as though he will make a full recovery.

'Pups can be separated from their mothers during periods of heavy winds and waves, which is what we think happened to Barney. "He will have been too weak to fend for himself.'


On the road to recovery: The seal is being looked after at The West Hatch Animal Centre in Taunton, Somerset


Animal hospital: Staff at the rescue centre in Taunton have named the seal Barnacle


Shut-eye: Barnacle the seal pup has a rest at The West Hatch RSPCA centre in Somerset

The pup, which still has its fine pure white coat, will spend up to three months at the centre before being released off the north coast of Devon when fully fit.
Barnie is currently being fed a fish soup of Herring, which is fed intravenously, and will move onto sword fish within a matter of weeks. Grey seal pupping season runs from September to November. Pups do not start learning how to fish for themselves until they are at least four weeks old.


source:dailymail

So desperate for the seal of approval! The fame-hungry extrovert who got in the way of the preening penguins

By Daily Mail Reporter


Say fish: An elephant seal pops up next to the king penguins on South Georgia island in the Falklands

This cheeky chap is clearly desperate to get the SEAL of approval after popping up and posing for pictures.

The extrovert elephant seal shocked onlookers by springing into action while photographers tried to capture a group of royal penguins at Saint Andrew's Bay in South Georgia near The Falklands.

The fame-hungry seal surprised the excited crowd by suddenly appearing from behind a dune before disappearing and re-appearing several times in an apparent bid to dominate the photo shoot.


Me again: The seal posed 15 times for photographers who were trying to take pictures of the penguins
French photographer, Michel Watson, captured the entire comic episode on camera while cruising through Antarctica with his wife and several other photographers.

Mr Watson, 64, from Alsace said: 'I was about to take a picture of the penguins when suddenly from the other side of the dune appeared a young elephant seal.

'It stood for about six seconds just staring at us before going back down and disappearing.

'A few seconds later he was standing again and he did this at least 15 times. The whole thing was very bizarre and lasted a good five minutes.

'Soon everyone was trying to get the timing right to get good pictures of the seal rather than the penguins.'

'Each time he looked more and more surprised to see us there because I don't think he was used to seeing humans.'

The elephant seal was around two metres tall and can weigh more than 6,600 pounds.
'We were only a couple of metres away but I wasn't scared, it was such a funny

moment,' said Mr Watson.


source:dailymail

It's tough being ginger even when you're a seal: Lonely pup shunned by his colony

By Mail Foreign Service


The loneliest seal in the world: This rare brown furred pup was spotted on the beach at Tyuleniy Island, Russia


Sitting all alone on a beach, this little seal is an outcast from the colony.

Its crime? Having reddish-brown fur and the palest of blue eyes. The rest of its sleek black family took an instant dislike to the ginger pup, leaving it to fend for itself.

The pictures were taken by Anatoly Strakhov, who spotted the seal on Tyuleniy Island, Russia.

Hiding hole: The seal, which is almost blind, had been hiding under a pile of logs when he was first spotted


The photographer, 61, said: ‘He was hiding and waiting for his mother to come and feed him.

‘He had a very strange colour fur and looked different from his two black brothers.

I was pleased to be able to capture such an unusual animal, but the poor seal is almost blind and so was unlikely to survive in the wild.’
Luckily, Mr Strakhov was with staff from a dolphinarium who took it into their care.

The pup – whose colour is the result of an accumulation of iron in its fur – might have had more luck in the U.S. One of the biggest concentrations of red-haired seals is in San Francisco.

Hiding hole: The seal, which is almost blind, had been hiding under a pile of logs when he was first spotted


Shunned: The pup sits on is own up the beach while other seals group by the water's edge


source:dailymail

Mystery 'corkscrew' deaths of seals revealed as fatal attraction to sounds of ship's propellers

-Females may be mistaking noise of ships for mating calls


By Daily Mail Reporter


Scientists investigating the death of seals washed up with mystery 'corkscrew' injuries now believe that females may have a fatal attraction for some ship's propellers.

Experts suspect that female harbour seals - also known as common seals - are lured into the killer ducted blades because they produce the same accoustics as mating calls of male seals.

Of seven harbour seals found along the Fife coast with the horrific trademark injuries this summer - five turned out to be females.

The UK is host to populations of grey as well as common seals. Scientists were left baffled when dozens of corpses were found with horrific injuries


Scientists at the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University have now traced twice as many seals killed by the corkscrew injuries - first reported last year - and over a wider area and period.

They believe off-shore wind farms may have increased boat traffic.

When they analysed the deaths they found nearly all the deaths in the summer were adult females but the deaths in winter were mostly juveniles.

At first the phenomenon baffled scientists until they struck on the theory that the sound of certain ship's propellers may be attracting the female seals.

They have now carried out acoustic tests on both captive and wild seals - playing recordings of propellers - which seems to initially back-up the theory.

However, they cannot yet explain what is attracting the young.

The scientists are now convinced that the corkscrew wounds are caused by ducted propellers from coastal inshore boats - and not sharks.

The corpses of at least 50 seals confused experts at first because they had all suffered a single smooth-edged cut spiralling the length of their body.

Since last year the total of 'corkscrew' deaths has now risen to 90.

It is thought the horrific single-cut injuries have been caused by boat propellers


Dr David Thompson, the researcher leading the investigation, said: 'Investigations have revealed a number of features that show the injuries are entirely consistent with the animals being sucked through large ducted propellers.

'The number and range of deaths is more extensive than we first thought. They are more extensive in the UK - we now have confirmed cases in the Firth of Forth, Aberdeenshire, Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Orkney, Northumberland, Strangford Lough in Ireland, as well as the previous ones in Fife and Norfolk.

'Seals with similar characteristic spiral or corkscrew injuries have been reported from Atlantic Canada for at least the last 15 years at Sable Island off Nova Scotia and the Gulf of St Lawrence.

'What we have found is that in the summer the deaths are almost exclusively adult female harbour seals and in the winter mostly juvenile grey seals.

'The possibility is that the females are being attracted by the sound of the motors. Seals communicate at a similar low frequency roar during the breeding season.

'It is clear that the seals are responding inappropriately to some aspect of the operation of these devices. The localisation in space and time of these events makes it unlikely that the seals are being hit as a result of random coming together of swimming animals and fast moving vessels.

'The concentration of carcasses in each locality suggests that the vessels must be either stationary or slow moving but operating their propellers, such as when using motors for dynamic positioning.

'This suggests that some aspect of the operation of these devices is attracting the seals to within a danger zone from which they do not appear to be able to escape.

Developing any mitigation measure will require that we identify and understand the attractive mechanism.


Since cases were uncovered in Fife and Norfolk (see map) there have been confirmed cases in Aberdeenshire, Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Orkney, Northumberland and Strangford Lough in Ireland


'An acoustic cue is suggested by the fact that all seals killed during summer month have been female harbour seals which are thought to be attracted by underwater calls of breeding males.

'Juvenile grey seals which are the main victims during winter months in Norfolk and Scotland have also been shown to be attracted by conspecific calls with a pulsing rhythmic pattern.'

Trials have been taking place looking at matching the sounds of boats and the mating calls of seals.

'We have not identified the propeller types yet, but if we do we have the potential to change the sound and possibly avoid these types of deaths,' said Dr Thompson.

'But we believe that workboats are highly likely to be involved - and in recent years there are more and more of these type of boats working in coastal waters. That is why the problem appears to be increasing.

'We think these corkscrew deaths have now been around in the UK since the 1980s. We do not know the extent of the problem. We know that only a tiny proportion of the 30,000 plus seals that die each year in UK waters are washed ashore.

'Our methods included scaled simulations using models that show how the spiral injuries can be created, as well as fine-scale observation of the injuries themselves that show the lacerations were made by the seals rotating against a smooth edged blade while at the same time being dragged past the blade by a powerful force.

'Most diagnostic of all has been the imprint on some animals of the serrated 'rope cutter' that is present on most of these types of ducted propellers to stop ropes getting entangled in the propellers.'

The SMRU's preliminary report will be presented to Marine Scotland by the end of the year.


source:dailymail

The real Navy seal! Surprise visitor clambers on to dinghy to enjoy a spot of sunbathing

By Daily Mail Reporter


Overboard: The seal checks out its surroundings from the dinghy, seemingly unfazed by the audience it had attracted


For a mammal that spends most of its time under water, the sight of an empty dinghy tied to a buoy was too good an opportunity to pass up.

This real-life Navy seal stunned onlookers when it crawled aboard the inflatable boat, moored on the River Orwell, near Woolverstone in Suffolk.

Clearly content with its new resting spot, the seal then lay on the dinghy for 10 minutes, soaking up the sunshine before leaping back into the water.


Astonished onlookers gathered to take pictures of the bizarre sight. At one point it looked like the dinghy would not hold the seal's weight as the vessel buckled under the animal's mass.

A typical male wild grey seal can reach up to 230 kilograms (more than 36 stone) with females weighing in at 155 kg (more than 24 stone).

These images were captured by pensioner June Deaton, 66, from Spalding, in Lincolnshire, who was taking a trip along the river with her family when the bizarre scenes unfolded in front of her, prompting her to reach for the camera.

Curious cargo: Onlookers were stunned when the seal clambered aboard the air-filled dinghy and lay in the sun for 10 minutes

Taking the weight off: It's a wonder the mammal did not sink the dinghy... typical adult male wild seals can weigh up to 36 stone while fully-grown females can reach more than 24 stone


She said: 'We were sailing back from a family fish and chip lunch when I spotted the seal. The seal jumped into the dinghy twice.

'We did not go too close at first as we thought we might scare it away. We shouted out to people on the river bank and a crowd built up.

'It was such a lovely sunny day. Far from being afraid, it seemed to be enjoying the sunshine and put on quite a show.

'My daughter-in-law has been sailing for many years and said she has never seen anything like this before.'

Indigenous: Grey seals are the largest breeding seals found in the UK and half of the world's population live along on the British coastline


Grey seals are the largest breeding seals found in the UK and half of the world's population live along on the British coastline.

Male grey seals are much larger than females. They have broad shoulders, an elongated snout and heavy muzzle whereas females have a less rounded profile.

Wild grey seals vary in colour from dark brown to grey or black with blotches, and females tend to be paler than the males.


source:dailymail

Fishing for compliments: Seal who charms seasiders with a friendly wave

By Daily Mail Reporter


Waves for whelks: Charlie the seal waving his flipper to ask for food in the harbour in Howth, Ireland


Say hello to the seal who has learned that by acting like an impatient customer in a restaurant, he can get an extra helping of fish.

Cheery Charlie has discovered that by pleasing the crowd with a friendly wave he can gain the upper hand on his fish-loving rival seals.

Visitors to Howth near Dublin, Ireland flock to the local harbour to purchase fish by the bucket load to chuck to the hungry seals and Charlie's wave has landed him a place at the top table.


The cheeky swimmer sometimes gets a bite on the head from other members of the seal colony but his mimicry of a diner desperate for service means he gets a generous portion from charmed locals.

Photographer Paul Hughes, 40, from Dublin was on hand to capture this magic moment.

'He seems to have learned how to do this by imitating people,' explained Paul.

'People love it - it gets him noticed and they wave back at him.

'And at the end of the day he gets to gobble up more fish than the other seals.'

Service please! Charlie cheekily waves a flipper while floating off the Irish coast, looking more like an impatient restaurant customer than a sea dweller


'Sometimes they get quite jealous of his catch and will give him a little bite on the head,' Mr Hughes added.

'But he can just carry on waving without a care in the world.'
Seals are a common sight off the coast of Ireland and across the British Isles.

They can grow to over seven feet in length and weigh up to 250 kg. They live mainly off fish and squid.


Pick me! Charlie stands out among the other seals in Howth by giving a wave to passers by


Source:dailymail