Seal pup rescued in Grouville

Seal pup is flown to Guernsey

A baby seal had to be rescued by Jersey Environment and Animal Rescue from rocks in Grouville Bay on Sunday 1 November after finding itself stranded.

There were concerns for the seal's safety after its mother was washed out to sea in a heavy swell and couldn't get back to reach her pup.

The baby seal was flown by Jersey pilot, Gregory Guida to Guernsey where they have a seal sanctuary.

The seal will then be flown to a specialist seal centre in Taunton.

Gregory Guida is a Wildlife Photographer and was called by friends who saw the seal on the beach.

"When I arrived it was sitting on the beach, it didn't seem worried or anything it was just sitting there and once in a while it would lift its head, look around and then go back to sleep," Gregory said.

The seal pup was stranded in Grouville Bay. Photo Gregory Guida

It was dog walkers who raised the call for help after spotting the stranded seal on the beach around lunchtime.

Volunteers came in to cordon off the beach and the Royal Jersey Golf Club in Grouville closed the fairways near the animal so its mother could have an chance to return undisturbed.

However, as the mother was nowhere to be seen the decision was taken to to rescue the pup and take it to Guernsey.

Gregory is a pilot and owns his own plane, so offered to fly the seal to the sanctuary in Guernsey.

"The pup had to go to Guernsey as soon as possible and because I own a small plane I offered my services.

"There were very qualified people handling this, I was just taking photos and early this morning I flew it over to Guernsey," Gregory said.

Grey seals regularly breed on rocks around the Channel Islands but it's rare for them to get stranded.

The GSPCA have confirmed the pup is doing well in their specialised enclosure waiting for transport on to Norfolk.

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