Dead seal found on Porth beach

A young female seal has been found dead on the beach at Porth.

The discovery on Thursday has been recorded by Cornwall Wildlife Trust as part of its Marine Strandings Network, which monitors and logs marine wildlife strandings across Cornwall.

Although the cause of death for the seal is unclear, a spokesperson for the trust said that many young seals face significant challenges in their first year of life:

“This one was by size one of this season’s pups, and survivorship in the first year is pretty low as they have to figure out navigation, finding food, and avoiding dangers on their own – their mums leave them to it from about two to three weeks old,” they said.

The trust says the mammal had a deep hole in one side and a smashed skull, though it is unknown whether these injuries occurred before or after death. The spokesperson added that the seal appeared to have been feeding well, as it was in a healthy condition.

Common natural causes of death for young seals include starvation, disease, and accidents such as being thrown against rocks during rough seas. Human-related causes include drowning in fishing nets, ship strikes, disturbance leading to falls from haul-out spots, and pollution.

The Marine Strandings Network was established following an influx of dolphin strandings in the late 1990s. Since then, a dedicated group of volunteers has been working to document and analyse the strandings of larger marine wildlife, including seals, dolphins, fish, and jellyfish.

Members of the public are urged to report any dead marine wildlife by calling the Marine Strandings Network hotline on 0345 201 2626, which is manned full-time by volunteers. The trust also highlights the importance of reporting seabird strandings, as cases of avian flu are rising again.