FOUR rescued seal pups have been released back into Jersey waters after receiving care in Guernsey.
The grey seals were released at Anne Port over the weekend, in the presence of vets, Animals’ Shelter workers and marine mammal medics.
Maya, Faulkner, Jem and Didier washed up in the Island between four and six months ago after being separated from their mothers due to stormy weather conditions.
Jersey does not have a centre equipped to care for seals, and they were instead sent to the animal shelter in Guernsey.
Staff said they all “doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled their rescue weight” at the GSPCA.
The charity added that this was the first time in five years that Jersey-born seal pups had been returned to their native waters.
Donna de Gruchy, the Jersey co-ordinator for British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said that the seals would probably spread out from Anne Port to areas such as Gorey and St Catherine.
She advised boat owners to “give them as much space as possible”.
The GSPCA said it had saved a record number of seals this year, with manager Steve Byrne reporting that this had been the“busiest season in 151 years”.
The GSPCA, which has faced challenges such as a lack of storage freezers and damage from Storm Ciarán, had planned to send Channel Island seals to the UK for rehabilitation as its headquarters had been due to be refurbished.
However, due to a delay in the revamp until spring, and the fact that all UK seal rehabilitation centres were already at full capacity, Guernsey staff offered to care for the seals.
The staff will continue to care for other Guernsey seals – Valentine, Dolly, Doyle, Grinch, Baby Shark and Ghost – until they are ready for release.
