A SEAL which became entangled in plastic has been rescued from a beach in Walton.
A dog walker called for the aid of the British Drivers Marine Life Rescue team after discovering the injured animal on the beach at the town’s Naze cliffs.
Kevin Tappenden found the seal while he was walking his two dogs on Saturday morning.
His wife, Mandy, said: “It appeared to have been caught up and had something stuck around its neck.
“He called the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity and waited until they arrived.
“The tide was coming in and was almost at high tide, but they managed to get the seal into a cage and take away.
“They said it had probably been caught in nets when young and where it had grown, it cut deeper and deeper into its neck.
“Hopefully he will be released back as soon as he is well enough.”
Injured - the seal was found at Walton's Naze beach. Picture: Kevin Tappenden
British Drivers Marine Life Rescue volunteers carefully captured the seal before taking it for treatment.
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It said the seal had a severe entanglement around its neck - thought to be netting or a plastic bag - which had cut all the way through its blubber
The animal was taken to a rehabilitation centre for care, where the plastic was removed safely from his neck before he was given pain medication and antibiotics.
Picture: BDMLR Medics
Volunteer Barry Scott, 39, was called to the aid of three seals on Saturday, including at the Naze and in Jaywick.
“Both animals had been entangled in netting and needed help,” he said.
“The call to help the grey seal, now named Gnocchi, came early Saturday from walkers with their dog who spotted the seal beached and with something tight around its neck.
Volunteer Barry Scott, pictured in a high vis vest, helped to rescue the seal
“Seals spend a large amount of their time on land quite happily and there are large colonies of seals in the backwaters so people in general should give them a wide berth and keep their dogs on a lead if they spot one resting.
“This particular one had the substance around its neck and cutting into it.
“Fortunately it was under one of the cliff areas that is only about 15 feet in height but the tide was right on us by the time we got the cage lowered and Gnocchi into it.
“We then had to hoist it up and get back to the vehicles at the Naze Tower carrying the equivalent of 40kg in weight.
“People don’t realise that seals have a strong jaw and a mouth full of teeth so we had to keep stopping because Gnocchi was trying to bite our fingers through the cage and it was about a mile to the car.”
Barry later helped to rescue a second seal found entangled in rope in Jaywick.
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