Marine Life & Conservation
UK seals ‘fared better than feared’ in storm surge
Seals thought to have been lost on the north Norfolk coast in the UK due to last week’s storm fared better than feared, experts say.
Hundreds of seal pups, which cannot swim or survive without their mother’s milk, were feared lost along the coast.
But the National Trust and Friends of Horsey Seals say assessments of the coastline show things are “better than first thought”.
Many seals managed to get to higher ground, the National Trust said.
It said the “vast majority” of more than 1,000 seals and pups at Blakeney Point “survived the extreme tidal surge”.
Victoria Egan, countryside manager for the Norfolk coast, said: “We hope people will join us in being delighted that the majority of these resilient creatures survived and we hope to be able to carry out a full count in the coming days.
“Many of the seals will have been displaced from the colony and we know a number of people have spotted them.
“We strongly urge anyone who sees a seal or pup to please stay well away from them, they are wild animals and must be allowed to behave in their natural way.”
Ms Egan said mothers would search for their pups, but not if people were around.
“Having survived such terrible weather conditions, any human intervention now could have dire consequences, no matter how well intentioned,” she said.
Friends of Horsey Seals said it had seen about 180 pups on the sand dunes with their mothers.
A spokesman said some bulls had also been driven onto the dunes and should not be approached.
“A lot of sand has been scoured from beneath the seawall creating a large drop,” the spokesman said.
“The bulls, given a choice when confronted, would move towards the interlopers rather than face a large drop onto the beach.”
The RSPCA said it had taken in about 40 injured seals at its East Winch Wildlife Centre since the storm.
Alison Charles, manager of the centre, said: “This couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the seals, as we are right at the height of the pupping season.
“We’ve never had to deal with anything like the conditions we saw on Thursday.”
Source: bbc.co.uk/news
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
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The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
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Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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