Seal Pup Becomes Stranded on Margate Beach

Seal Pup Becomes Stranded on Margate Beach but British Divers Marine Life Rescue Manage to Save the Day after Emergency Call

 
When most people think of diving they think of jetting off to explore exotic reefs in lands faraway. Whilst that type of scenario no doubt plays a huge part in the scuba diving scene, there are other ways in which the diving communities help out life on planet earth. For example, a young seal pup in Margate was recently found stranded on the beach by a concerned member of the public. Hundreds of people gathered to watch on the prom as it soon became apparent that the seal was in great difficulty.

 British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Fortunately, one lady had the sense to call in the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. Journalist Lowri Stafford was on the harbour with some friends when she spotted the seal and called for help. Ms Stafford said:
“The tide was out and the seal was clearly in difficulty on the mud. As the tide came in quickly, it tried to move away from the water, eventually ending up on a little island, before heading for the shore near the slipway. It was flipping about on its back and moving really slowly, clearly in distress with an injury to its side, so it couldn’t go back into the sea.”
“The tide was coming in fast, so it moved away from the water and into the path of lots of people, who were taking photos and pouring water on it. A council worker turned up with a bin bag and litter picker – I think someone had reported it as dead. I called the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, who arrived about an hour later, caged it and took it away for treatment.”
Respect the Environment
In this instance the seal pup was saved by the team of British Divers who came to the rescue. Scuba divers are fully aware of the importance of looking after our natural environments and helping out marine species. Organisations such as the British Divers Marine Life Rescue are a great way for divers to get involved in giving something back to the sport that we love so much.
Anyone who is thinking of trying scuba diving for the first time, or has recently taken up the sport, would do well to check out if there are any local support groups in their area. Diving centres often have information about any local organisations. Scuba diving offers people a great opportunity to make new friends and learn new skills which can have an impact within many different areas of life.
Thankfully, instances of stranded seals and marine animals are fairly rare on the British Isles. However, it is comforting to know that specialist expertise is available if required. There are dedicated teams of diving volunteers who are ready to help out in an emergency and that can only be a good thing for humans and animals. The little seal in Margate will live to fight another day thanks to the efforts of a kind team of divers doing the right thing.
About the Author – Sarah Makinson uses sites such as www.divemasterinsurance.com to check out the latest scuba diving news and deals.