This dead seal, with cord round its flippers, was found on Baylys Beach on Saturday - a reminder that what we throw into the ocean can have catastrophic consequences for wildlife. Photo / Supplied
This dead seal, with cord round its flippers, was found on Baylys Beach on Saturday - a reminder that what we throw into the ocean can have catastrophic consequences for wildlife. Photo / Supplied
What we throw into the sea can have catastrophic consequences for wildlife.
That's the message Auckland man Frank Thomas knows well, and it was reinforced on Saturday when he found a dead seal on Baylys Beach with a cord tangled around its flippers.
Thomas, who has a bach at Baylys,near Dargaville, was on the beach with his wife and their two dogs when they came across the grisly discovery.
Thomas said they were walking the dogs about 5km south of the Baylys Beach settlement when they saw the seal.
''The dogs saw it first. We couldn't see it as it was over by the bottom of a cliff so we went to have a look at what the dogs had seen.
''You don't normally see them at this time of year out there and we saw that it had this cord tangled around its flippers. It was obviously dead.''
He did not think the cord had been tied around the flippers, but rather the seal had become entangled in it and died, possibly at sea, then been washed ashore.
''There were no drag marks indicating that it had dragged itself up the beach. There were no flies around it so I'm assuming it was washed ashore,'' Thomas said.
He said numerous little blue penguins had been washed ashore dead this autumn on the beach, but he was shocked to find a dead seal there.
He posted his find on the Baylys Beach Community page on Facebook in the hope that it would prevent people from polluting the oceans and to show the potential consequences of doing so.
''Really, it just shows again that whatever we throw into the ocean can have catastrophic effects on our wildlife. I just want people to know that and think before they put anything into the ocean,'' he said.
Thomas said he considered informing the Department of Conservation about the seal, but after looking on the website deemed they would not want to know as the seal was already dead so he did not bother doing so.
The cord that tangled a seal's flippers, leading to its death on Baylys Beach, near Dargaville, on Saturday. Photo / Supplied
■ What to do if you find a seal (courtesy of DoC):
If you find a New Zealand fur seal it's usually best to leave it alone, however there are exceptions.
DOC takes a hands-off approach to seals. They are capable and resilient and given time and space they usually find their way home.
Seals are wild animals and will defend themselves if they feel threatened. Adult seals can move surprisingly quickly on land. While they can look harmless, seals can inflict serious injuries to dogs or people and can carry infectious diseases.
It is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill a seal. A dog owner whose dog attacks a seal could face prosecution.
Safety guidelines when watching seals
You should:
■ stay at least 20 m away
■ don't disturb seals by making loud noises or throwing things
■ keep dogs and children away
■ don't feed the seals
■ never attempt to touch a seal.
What's normal?
The following are all natural behaviours and you don't need to intervene. You may see seals:
■ looking distressed and scrawny
■ sneezing, coughing and with weepy eyes
■ drifting in the waves
■ flapping flippers as if stranded
■ immobile
■ fighting
■ pups spending time away from their mothers.
When we need to intervene
There are exceptions to the hands-off approach. DOC will intervene if a seal is:
■ in notably poor condition
■ in immediate danger
■ tangled in debris
■ causing disruption, eg in the middle of a road
■ being harassed.
What to do if you're concerned
Ask: is the seal in danger, injured or being harassed by people or dogs?
If so, call the emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Never attempt to move or handle a seal yourself. They are aggressive when stressed and it's important not to separate a mother and her pup.
