Experts are worried of a repeat of the ‘Spearmint’ saga from summer of 2022
Marine fans who want to catch a glimpse of a sunbathing seal that appears to be regularly visiting the beach at Firestone Bay are being urged to keep their distance by conservationists, or risk the creature suffering future problems.
Recent sightings of the snoozing seal as it lounges on the beach, close to Devil’s Point, have understandably drawn increased attention, and social media is awash with photos of the mammal, with some getting in close to get a better shot.
However, conservationists are keen to remind locals of the downside of such attention, citing the case of ‘Spearmint’ who became a regular visitor to the beaches around Cawsand, Torpoint and Firestone Bay back in late 2021 through to July 2022, with crowds gathering to see her.
By March of 2022, concerns were raised after Spearmint was seen being hand-fed by members of the public. Worse, some were even seen attempting to stroke or even ‘cuddle’ Spearmint.
Spearmint was rescued in Wales and rehabilitated at the RSPCA’s West Hatch centre in Somerset. She had been tagged and had previously visited Ilfracombe.
Crowds gather at Firestone Bay in Plymouth to greet local celebrity, Spearmint the seal(Image: Erin Black)
At that time, members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue urged locals to give Spearmint her own space, otherwise there were fears she would become detached from her own kind and come to believe that the humans were seals, leading to tragic results – including falling ill.
Sadly, these warnings were not heeded, and at one stage, there were reports that dogs had been allowed close to Spearmint, sparking her to be bitten.
She was eventually removed from Firestone Bay and taken to the RSPCA’s West Hatch Wildlife base in Taunton where she was treated for a number of health issues before being released back into the wild.
The latest appearance of a seal at our shores has again prompted many to visit Firestone Bay to catch a glimpse of the mammal – but again, the warnings from conservationists should be heeded.
(Image: Ryan Arnold)
Dan Jarvis, director of welfare and conservation at British Divers Marine Life Rescue, told PlymouthLive: “We have had a few calls from concerned members of the public.
“Our message is the same as before – these are wild animals and this seal looks like quite a large one.
“Hopefully people will respect it and not try and pet or approach it. Respect it from a distance because there’s no reason to interact with it.”
Dan said the seal could be resting after having swum a long distance or perhaps likes the beach at Firestone Bay as it is relatively sheltered and calm over the Christmas and New Year period.
A smiling seal was photographed lounging at Devils Point(Image: Ryan Arnold)
He said: “We’re having discussions in the background about the seal and remember well the issues we had with Spearmint. Those interactions encouraged Spearmint to go more and more into public areas and the risk there is if they head towards roads where she was at risk of being hit and injured or even killed.
“The actions of people who try and interact with the seal means it can lead to behavioural changes and some of those changes can end up being fatal. There are worrying consequences to that interaction, so our advice is the same now as before – keep your distance and leave the seal in peace.”