The NSRI Port Edward duty crew were activated to Silver Beach over the weekend after receiving eye-witness reports of what seemed to be an injured seal on the beach.
The crew dispatched to the beach and found that a man, his wife and young son were guarding the animal. The seal turned out to be a juvenile elephant seal.
In a statement, the NSRI said: ‘The son, Seth Gurr, age 12, a learner at Port Edward Primary School, had insisted on guarding the seal until NSRI arrived after some children had reportedly chased the elephant seal that was found on the beach into the water. The elephant seal was being pounded by waves in the surfline and reached the beach before some children on the beach corralled the seal back into the water where it appeared to struggle in the water for some time before coming back to the beach where it was then guarded by Seth and his parents, Archie and Mandi.’
The NSRI explained that once the crew had arrived the KwaZulu-Natal Marine Animal Stranding Network were also alerted. A team were mobilised to guard the animal through the night in shifts. The team consisted of KZN Marine Animal Stranding Network members, Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers, Ekubu Estate security officers and Wolf Security officers.
A plan was made to relocate the animal to either Mpenjati Nature Reserve in Port Edward or to Sea World in Durban on Monday morning depending on the seals condition.
In the early hours of Monday, August 17, the animal returned to the water and swam away. The nSRI Port Edward crew named the juvenile elephant seal Buddy.
The NSRI is appealing to the public if they spot the elephant seal beached along the coast to alert NSRI Emergency Operations Centre 0870949774 or NSRI Port Edward 0829905951 directly.
The NSRI has to prevent the public or domestic animals from disturbing the animal until authorities arrive on the scene.
‘It is unusual for an elephant seal to be found so far North up the East Coast but there are a few recorded occasions where they have ventured North as far up the East Coast and beyond KZN.
‘NSRI commend Seth and his parents for their assistance and we commend the team who guarded the seal through the night.’
At 14h12, Sunday, 16 August, NSRI #PortEdward duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a seal on Silver Beach, Port Edward. https://t.co/wVCdCrQOV9 pic.twitter.com/qjZeMT09kG
— Sea Rescue South Africa (@NSRI) August 17, 2020
Image credit: Twitter/ @NSRI
