Grey seal pups and common seal pups are weaned at about three to four weeks old...
How to tell if a seal is in distress
If you’re concerned about a seal, you’re in the right place.
Whether you’ve spotted a seal in distress or found a seal pup out on its own, don’t try to rescue or handle it yourself – we’ll help you identify what the problem might be, and what to do next.
Found a seal pup alone
If you’ve spotted a baby seal alone on a beach – don’t panic. Seal pups are often left alone on the beach while their mums hunt for fish. In fact, mums leave their pups to fully fend for themselves quite early on, when they’re as young as a month old – or younger!
However, sometimes a seal pup being left on its own can be a sign that something’s wrong. Baby seals can become separated from their mothers by storms, or human interference, and others may not feed properly and need help.
Find out how to tell the difference between a healthy seal pup, and a seal pup that needs your help:
What does a healthy seal pup look like?
- Healthy: the pup looks plump and sausage-shaped, with no visible neck.
- Unhealthy: the pup looks thin (but not bony) and has a visible neck, like a dog.
If you think a baby seal has been abandoned (its mother hasn’t returned within 24 hours) or is sick or injured, watch from a safe distance and contact us on 0300 1234 999.
Don’t try and coax the seal pup into the water. They might get scared, injure themselves, get washed out by strong currents, or even bite!
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It's true! After a few weeks they are left to look after themselves.
How to tell if a seal is injured or distressed
Found a seal on a beach, but are unsure if they’re injured or distressed and need help? The seal may need help in these situations:
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They’re tangled or trapped: The seal is caught in netting, or there’s something stuck around their necks (like a ring frisbee)
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They’ve been attacked: You’ve seen the seal being attacked by a dog
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They’re injured: The seal has obvious injuries or open wounds
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They’re thin: If you can see their neck clearly, this usually means they’re underweight
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They’re shivering: And you’ve seen them shiver for more than 15 minutes (they might also shiver if they’re frightened, so make sure you’re not too close!)
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The seal pup has been alone for 24 hours: You’ve been monitoring a seal pup for a full day and the mother hasn’t returned
Help an injured or distressed seal
If you’re worried about a seal or seal pup’s safety and wellbeing, here's the best way to help:
- 1 Watch the seal from a distance: For your own safety and theirs, keep at least 100m away (the length of a football pitch).
- 2 Don’t try to handle the seal: Never attempt to approach, touch or move them back into the sea. It’s dangerous, and can make it harder for experts to rescue them.
- 3 Watch the seal for a while: Monitor the seal from afar for an hour or two. They might wander off, or a seal pup’s mum might return. If the pup is alone, wait and watch for 24 hours.
- 4 Report your concern: If they’re still injured or distressed after that time, look for a nearby warden, sign, or call a seal rescue organisation (listed below) – or us, on 0300 1234 999.
What to do if you find a dead seal
If you find or see a dead seal in England or Wales, or a seal that appears to be dead, do not approach or touch it (don’t let your dog near it, either) as they may be carrying diseases.
Instead, report your sighting to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) by calling: 0800 652 0333.
If you find a dead seal in Scotland, report it to the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS) on: 07979 245893.
The CSIP or SMASS will then collect the seal and perform a postmortem to determine the seal’s cause of death.
Seal rescue organisations
You can play a vital part in seal rescue by getting in touch with one of the following:
- RSPCA: 0300 1234 999
- British Divers Marine Life Rescue: 01825 765 546
- Marine and Wildlife Rescue (Norfolk-based only): 01692 650 338
- Friends of Horsey Seals (Norfolk-based only): 07706 314 514
Related content
Where can you see seals in the UK?
Seals can be found all around the UK coast, but mostly around the north and east. Common seals are found in Scotland, and our eastern and southeast coast whereas grey seals are found mostly around our northern, eastern and western coastlines.
They’ll come onto shore on quiet beaches and rocky areas to rest, digest their food and give birth to their pups. Although they spend most of their time in the sea, it’s completely normal for them to come on to beaches. If you’re lucky, you might even see them resting in the banana pose!
It’s normal to see seals in rivers or water bodies further inland when they’re looking for food. There’s no need to call us for help unless the seal is sick, injured or is stuck between locks or weirs. Crowds can cause stress, so try to stay away and watch them from a distance.
When do seals breed?
Common seals give birth to their pups in June and July, and their pups will go into the water soon after they’re born.
Grey seals have their pups at different times of year depending on where they are. Grey seals that live in the south-west will start having their pups in September, followed by the populations in Scotland in October and November and finishing with seals on the east coast around December. Grey seal pups have white coats, and they won’t go into the water until they’re two or three weeks old.
Watching seals safely
Wild seals are an amazing sight to see, but it’s really important to leave them alone and not get too close.
Disturbing seals when they’re on beaches can mean they can’t sleep or digest their food properly, or mothers and pups could be separated from each other. It’s also dangerous for people or dogs to get too close to them, as seals have a painful bite.
The best thing to do is to move slowly and quietly, paying attention to any signs up on the beach. Always keep at least 100 metres away - that’s about the same length as a full-sized football pitch. Use binoculars to watch them, and keep dogs on a lead or leave them at home if you can.
If the seals are looking at you, then you’re too close and you’ll need to back away quietly. Find more tips on watching seals from the Seal Alliance.
How to tell if a seal is sick or injured
It’s normal for healthy seals to spend time on beaches, so if you see one on a beach there’s no need to worry unless you see any of these signs too
This isn’t a complete list, so if you’re not sure then contact us for further advice.
- They’re tangled in netting, or there’s something stuck around their necks
- You’ve seen the seal being attacked by a dog
- They’ve got injuries or open wounds
- The seal is thin - if you can see their neck clearly, this usually means they’re underweight
- They’re shivering, and you’ve seen them doing this for more than 15 minutes. They might also shiver if they’re frightened, so make sure you’re not too close
- It’s a seal pup that you’ve been monitoring for 24 hours and the mother hasn’t returned
If you’re worried about a seal, then the best way to help is to watch it from a distance. Never try to approach them, touch them or move them back into the sea as this can be dangerous for the seal and make it harder for the experts to rescue them safely. Watch it for an hour or two - they may wander off. After that time if it’s clear that they need help, contact us on 0300 1234 999.
Because cruelty and neglect calls are our top priority, it might take us longer than we’d like to help this seal. We appreciate your understanding.
