A young seal is lying on a rocky shoreline covered with smooth, rounded stones of various sizes and colors. The seal has a mottled grey-and-white coat and is facing slightly toward the left. Around the seal’s neck is a piece of rope or fishing line, appearing tangled and tight, with some blue plastic debris attached to it. The animal is resting among rocks, with larger boulders in the background and smaller stones beneath its body.

A “very distressed” seal, found with netting tightly wound around its neck, needs a name.

The GSPCA – which is looking after the seal at its St Andrew’s animal shelter – has asked us to share an invite with readers to name him.

The male grey seal pup weighed about 30kg when he was rescued from the shoreline near the Fairy Ring, on the island’s south coast.

Simon De La Mare was walking his dogs in the area when he discovered the “very distressed seal”, on Monday morning.

It was “terribly tangled in a gill net, which was cutting into its neck”, Mr De La Mare said.

The GSPCA said the “horrendous netting tightly embedded around his neck, (was) causing a severe and infected wound”.

Geoff George, Head of Marine Mammals, was part of the team sent to rescue the seal, which was in a “truly terrible state when we reached him”.

“Yet again we are seeing the devastating impact that discarded netting and marine waste has on our local wildlife,” he added.

A seal pup with a cut around its next from discarded marine waste.
Pictured: The seal pup was in a “truly terrible state when we reached him”, rescuers said.

Manager Steve Byrne said the rescue was “a stark reminder” of why it was important to dispose of waste properly and support facilities like the GSPCA’s new wildlife hospital.

Anyone wanting to suggest a name can contact GSCPA or comment on their Facebook post.