A fisherman in Norfolk got far more than he bargained for the day after Christmas when his routine outing turned into an unexpected wildlife rescue.
While rowing along the River Bure, roughly 20 miles inland from the coast, the angler noticed something unusual tugging at his fishing net. Instead of another fish, he found himself face to face with a young grey seal that had followed his catch upstream.
The curious — and clearly hungry — seal had managed to get itself tangled in the net while trying to steal the fish. The astonished fisherman quickly realized the animal needed help and contacted a wildlife rescue charity.
Rescuers arrived near Horning and immediately noticed the seal was severely underweight. Concerned for its health, they transported the pup to an RSPCA wildlife centre, where it could receive proper care.
Now named Sunshine, the seal is believed to have originated from Sea Palling near Horsey Gap, an area that hosts one of the UK’s largest grey seal colonies. Each year, roughly 3,000 seal pups are born there.
Even so, volunteers from Friends of Horsey Seals described the incident as one of the most unusual rescues they’ve encountered.
“Horning is about 18 kilometres away — more than a five-hour walk — from Sea Palling,” a spokesperson explained. “It’s highly unlikely the seal travelled over land.”
Instead, experts believe Sunshine swam up the River Bure from Great Yarmouth, covering an impressive 20-mile journey inland.
According to the rescue group, the fisherman was attempting to land his fish when the seal appeared and went after the same prize. Both ended up inside the keep net — prompting the fisherman to call for help.
At the time of rescue, Sunshine weighed just 12 kilograms (26 pounds), far below the typical 30 to 45 kilograms expected for a seal pup of that age.
Thanks to the quick-thinking fisherman and the swift response from rescuers, Sunshine is now recovering well — turning a surprising holiday encounter into a happy ending.