A seal pup has been safely rescued after becoming trapped in a narrow gap between large coastal boulders in Westray, Orkney.
The young seal was first spotted on Thursday evening, wedged deep within rock armour at Rapness — a type of coastal defense made up of massive stones. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) assessed the situation the following day and returned on Saturday to carry out a carefully planned rescue, assisted by a local fish farming company.
According to BDMLR rescuer Tom Hadley, the pup was not exactly cooperative during the operation.
“It was in a really awkward position,” he explained, adding that the seal was facing outward and ready to bite. “They’ve got a very powerful bite, so we had to be extremely careful.”
To safely extract the animal, one rescuer was positioned inside the gap but kept just out of reach. Another team member distracted the seal by waving a towel, allowing the team to restrain and free it. Cooke Aquaculture helped by removing one of the heavy rocks blocking the seal’s exit.
As expected, the pup wasn’t pleased by the intervention.
“They don’t understand we’re trying to help,” Hadley said. “From their point of view, someone is just bothering them.”
Once freed, the seal was given a full health check and found to be in excellent condition.
“It was a strong, chunky little seal,” Hadley said. “After a moment, it just sat there looking completely confused — like it was trying to figure out what had just happened.”
After recovering its bearings, the pup was released back into its natural coastal habitat.
This marked the second seal rescue from rock armour in Orkney within the space of about a week, highlighting the challenges marine animals can face in these environments.