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Posted:
6:00 a.m. September 25, 2021
The deadly risks seals face from plastic toy rings have been highlighted in a new exhibit at a Great Yarmouth attraction.
The Sea Life Center exhibit hopes to encourage families not to take plastic toys to beaches in our area.
The Save Our Seals exhibit at Sea Life Great Yarmouth
– Credit: Sea Life Great Yarmouth
As has been reported, the rings have found their way around the necks of curious young seals, causing deep and painful wounds and, in the worst case, leading to their death.
The Save Our Seals display was created by the Friends of Horsey Seals, who have first-hand experience of the threat posed by toys.
In April, a seal called Ms Vicar was rescued from Horsey Beach with a ring around her neck for about two and a half years.
Jenny Hobson, Friends, said: “We are very grateful to Sea Life Great Yarmouth for championing the seal cause.
“It breaks my heart to see these beautiful and curious animals suffer without their having been for nothing.”
A seal caught in a plastic ring
– Credit: Friends of Horsey Seals
Nathan Barnett, Managing Director of Sea Life Great Yarmouth, said: “I think it is essential that we try to show a wider audience the real threat these toys pose, especially since they are often sold near the coast.
“The many tourists who come to our beaches may simply not be aware of the dangers these flying discs pose to the wonderful seals.”
The exhibit is funded by Cromer City Council and supported by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area.
It is open for visit to Sea Life Great Yarmouth from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm daily.
The Friends of Horsey Seals, dedicated to protecting the seals in Horsey and Winterton, want people to stay 10 meters from the animals, following multiple incidents of seal abuse over the summer.
Over the summer, there were several reports of people approaching seals, including a man taunting them.
The man, who was part of a group with a toddler, was seen hunting a gravid gray seal that had no choice but to escape into the water.
Shocking footage has been shared showing a man harassing a pregnant seal on Horsey beach.
– Credit: Haylea Allison
For more information on the work of Friends of Horsey Seals, visit: www.friendsofhorseyseals.co.uk.
