Being closely situated to a working harbour, the Aquarium team regularly encounters seals that have become entangled in discarded fishing line and packaging materials. Often, these get around the animal's neck and slowly cut into their flesh over time - eventually killing them if humans don't intervene. To free a seal, the team needs to sneak up on in while it is resting and quickly insert a hooked blade under the noose and cut it off before the seal can escape into the water where we have no chance of helping it. But sometimes things don't go to plan and we need to improvise!
This seal, which was freed earlier this year, was one of those exceptions! An Aquarium staff member snuck under the sleeping seals and hooked the blade around the rope entangling one - only to discover that the rope was too strong to be sliced by our blade!
Luckily, the quick thinking of the team meant that after a brief scare, this seal could be cut free of the rope around its neck!
NOTE: Please don't try this on your own - even though they are cute, seals are wild animals and will bite you badly when afraid. Rather, get in touch with your local wildlife and animal welfare organisations for assistance!
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