Why a Seal Smacked Kayaker in the Face with an Octopus

By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor | September 27, 2018 06:37am ET

Talk about a slap in the face. A new video captures the moment that a seal or sea lion flung a dead octopus into the face of a kayaker in New Zealand.

The video was posted on Instagram by 22-year-old filmmaker Taiyo Masuda. It shows his friend and fellow GoPro camera content promoter Kyle "te Kiwi" Mulinder experiencing the unexpected octopus assault during an ocean kayak trip.

The bewhiskered marine mammal may have been sporting with the human interlopers, but it's also quite likely that the octopus slam was an attempt to tenderize the meat for consumption.

Sea lions and fur seals are known to hunt and eat octopuses, which are not easy prey to eat. In 2010, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game shared photos of a Steller sea lion wrestling a large octopus. Marine biologists in that case pointed out that the octopus was far from defenseless, armed with its sharp, parrot-like beak. Sea lions have also been known to use the smash-and-grab approach to killing: A 2017 National Geographic article on a rare cannibalistic Steller sea lion mentions a 1991 case in which a bull sea lion killed a pup by hitting it against a rock.

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Seal avoids 'slow and painful death' by air vent filter

3 May 2018

A young seal is having to be taught to swim upright, after it became used to swimming on its back because of a plastic ring stuck around its neck.

It was spotted off the Norfolk coast with a deep wound caused by part of an air vent filter cutting into his flesh. After treatment, staff at Sea Life Hunstanton named him Relashio, after a Harry Potter spell.

It is now being taught to mimic other seals and swim in an upright position so it can be released. The juvenile grey seal was spotted struggling at Burnham Overy Staithe beach on the north Norfolk coast with a "waste air vent... dangerously trapped around his neck" which would have led to "a slow and painful death" had he not been treated.

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Stranded seal rescued from river Thames in London

Animal found on a pontoon near Kew Bridge brought to safety after a 90-minute rescue, to applause from watching public

Press Association

Thursday 13 October 2016 16.26 BST Last modified on Thursday 13 October 2016 16.48 BST 

A stranded seal has been rescued from the Thames to applause from the watching public in west London.

The animal was discovered on a pontoon near Kew Bridge in Brentford, and brought to safety after a 90-minute rescue involving the fire brigade and RSPCA.

It is not unusual for seals to venture up the Thames, the RSPCA said, but this one was thought to have become stranded on dry land after emerging from the water with an injury.

The animal charity said it may have been hit by a boat.

Speaking as the rescue took place on Thursday morning, an RSPCA spokeswoman said: “It’s not uncommon for seals to venture up rivers away from the sea looking for food. They normally manage to find their way back unless they are sick, when they will haul themselves out of the water.

“In this instance, however, we are concerned for the seal’s welfare as the animal appears to have an injury to the eye, perhaps consistent with being hit by a boat.”

London fire brigade station manager Andy Watson said: “With the help of firefighters, the seal was carried via a pedestrian bridge into an animal ambulance.

“The rescue was a success and the watching public clapped from the banks of the river.”

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Wounded Norfolk seal faces wait for treatment on neck

11 December 2015 

A seal thought to have been wounded by netting might have to wait for weeks before being treated, a charity said.

The bull seal, who is surrounded by females on the Norfolk coast, has a deep neck wound but vets do not want to approach him during breeding season.

The RSPCA said he did not appear to be in "imminent" danger, but they hoped to remove what was believed to be the embedded netting in January.

It said it did not want to disturb the mothers while they nursed their pups.

The public beach at Horsey, about 12 miles (19km) from Great Yarmouth, has had breeding grey seal colonies since 2003, according to the Friends of Horsey Seals.

Peter Ansell, chairman of the group, which patrols the beach to try to prevent people disturbing the animals, said: "The poor old boy does look pretty gruesome.

"At this time of year, all the bulls want to do is dominate their competitors and mate, so he's among the ladies and full of testosterone.

"You could never catch him and if you tranquilised him with a dart there's a risk he could bolt into the sea, lose consciousness and drown."

He said the breeding season would not finish until mid-January.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said they wanted to remove any netting, but the bull still seemed "strong and mobile".

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Sunbathing seal spotted 40 miles inland in Cambridgeshire

Animal pictured soaking up sun and splashing around in river in St Ives, 40 miles from nautral sea habitat

By Agency, video source SWNS

2:03PM BST 11 May 2015

A sunbathing seal has been spotted in a river 40 miles from the sea in Cambridgeshire.

Nathaniel Gore, 33, was out walking near his home in St Ives on Sunday when he spotted the animal splashing around in the water.

The editorial project manger stopped to film the seal and said it was not put off by the attention.

He added: "I've heard stories of seals being found inland before and he seemed perfectly happy so I wasn't too concerned.

"I stopped for about 20 minutes and he seemed to be enjoying the attention. He was splashing around in the water and sunbathing by the side of the river. I was able to get within three feet and it was a great sight to stop and enjoy."

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Seal found in field is recovering from pneumonia

Dumbledore the seal receiving treatment at RSPCA facility in East Winch after being found 20 miles from the sea last week

Press Association

The Guardian, Monday 29 December 2014 13.56 GMT

Photograph: RSPCA/PA

A seal discovered in a field on Merseyside has been diagnosed with pneumonia but is on the road to recovery.

The adult grey seal, who has been named Dumbledore, was found stranded in a field in Newton-le-Willows, at least 20 miles from the sea, on 22 December.

He was taken to the RSPCA’s specialist seal facility in East Winch, Norfolk, the following day, where he was examined by a vet and underwent tests.

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'Lost' grey seal rescued from field in St Helens

22 December 2014 Last updated at 15:47

A seal found in a field in Merseyside has been taken to a wildlife hospital "exhausted" after being rescued.

The "distressed" sea mammal was found near Newton Brook in Newton-le-Willows at about 09:45 GMT, police said.

Police, animal rescue officers and a farmer herded it with brooms and metal fences into a RSPCA trailer.

The grey seal, found about 17 miles (27km) from the nearest coastline, is thought to have travelled up the River Mersey, before getting "lost".

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Seal ventures up River Wye to Monmouth after flooding

A seal has been spotted on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouth after torrential rain.

Water levels in the river became high after heavy rain in the area over the weekend.

The seal, who has been named "Keith" on Twitter, has been basking in the water on Tuesday after venturing about 15 miles up the river.

He has previously only been seen in Chepstow, according to Severn Area Rescue Association.

Members of the search and rescue organisation have seen the seal who executive secretary Virginia ChuChi Lyall said was "very sociable".

"We have seen quite a lot of him in Chepstow. He is a regular at the moment down there," she explained.

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Seal saved in dramatic cliff rescue at Morte Point

By NDJPeter | Posted: November 14, 2013

A SEAL pup is recovering after it was saved in a dramatic cliff rescue at Morte Point.

The pup, nicknamed Slipper, was rescued from Slippery Rock on Wednesday morning.

The rescue was organised by North Devon Animal Ambulance’s Diana Lewis, and saw an eight strong team forced to clamber down an 80ft cliff to reached the stranded animal.

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Bristol Zoo Gardens seal 'punched by keeper'

An animal keeper at Bristol Zoo Gardens has been suspended after it was alleged he punched a seal at the tourist attraction.

It is alleged the senior keeper attacked the South American fur seal when handlers tried to weigh it.

The zoo's head vet has examined all the seals kept there and they remain on public show in their enclosure.

A Bristol Zoo Gardens spokeswoman said an investigation into the incident has been launched.

"Bristol Zoo would like to make it very clear that it has a zero tolerance attitude towards such behaviour and takes its commitment to the highest standards of animal welfare and conservation seriously," she said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-23602203

Seal seen at Drayton Lakes Reserve - 50 miles from sea

A seal is thought to have swum more than 50 miles (80km) along a flooded river to an RSPB nature reserve, where it was filmed "hopping" into a lake.

The marine mammal was filmed in a YouTube clip, published on Sunday, in a lake at Fen Drayton Lakes Reserve, in Swavesey, Cambridgeshire.

Graham Elliott of the RSPB said it was a "surprising" but not unique sighting.

"You occasionally get seals in the River Ouse near St Ives but I've never known of one here before," he said.

"The surprising thing was to see it leaving the river and hopping over the bank, entering the gravel pits area."

Thought by experts to be a common seal, the footage shows the seal battling to cross a barrier to get into a lake on the RSPB site.

The 29-year-old man who captured the footage said he initially thought he had seen a dog when he approached the area while on a walk with a friend at about 13:45 GMT on Sunday.

The designer, who wanted to be known as Robjn, said: "At first sight, I thought it was a dog in trouble but as it came up for air I could see it was a seal.

"It was swimming up a ditch that links to the Great Ouse. In the video, it is swimming from the ditch up into the flooded field.

"It had a few tries at different points of climbing the bank but in the film was the successful attempt. After that point we didn't see it again."

Read more:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20889259