BDMLR Cornwall Seal Hospital

28/10/2026

In one of those odd coincidence moments we get from time to time, some of our team running a training course in the Isles of Scilly recently discovered the family on the table next to them in a cafe were actually the ones who found and reported one of our previous patients - Lowchen!

Lowchen gained a bit of a following at the time due to our 'Seal Diaries' series over on our Youtube channel as he was seen being given a steaming treatment (https://youtu.be/W0OPUEn1Fx8?si=_-NPvEezrqkjICs4).

The video was so popular we had to do a follow up so people could see how he was getting on (https://youtu.be/gTmrNiSAyUU?si=Uo2GqwlwKGJcGtU9)!

After sharing these videos and the happy outcome that he was released, Vicki, from the family who helped rescue him originally, had these wonderful words to share with us along with photos of his rescue! Thank you Vicki 😄


A little story of hope and why you should always trust your instincts! 🦭💙

When we arrived at the bay for a family walk, we spotted a tiny baby seal several metres up the jetty slipway. It was obvious he was in distress with an injured flipper, freezing cold, and frightened. After the stormy night and rough seas, we realised this poor little guy was very unwell and likely recently weaned from his mum.

We called British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) right away, and they promised to send medic volunteers as soon as possible.

While waiting, we decided to stay with him to keep him safe. So many passersby wanted to get close, so we made sure people kept back and asked dog walkers to keep their dogs on leads.

Within a couple of hours, two amazing volunteers arrived! They gave him a quick checkup, administered hydration fluids right there on the spot, and popped him into a crate for transport to the seal hospital. Looking at him up close before he left, we honestly feared the worst... 💔

The best part? On a recent trip back to Cornwall, by pure chance we bumped into one of the volunteers who rescued him! They gave us the incredible news that he pulled through, recovered, and has now been fully released back into the wild! 🎉🌊

If you ever find an injured or distressed seal pup:

1. Keep your distance and keep dogs on leads.

2. Don't touch or try to put them back in the water.

3. Call BDMLR right away—you never know what a difference you can make! 📞✨

The BDMLR volunteers were fantastic—they checked him over, gave him emergency hydration fluids, and safely transported him to the hospital. He looked so poorly that we honestly didn't think he’d make it...

Fast forward to a recent trip back to Cornwall, and by pure chance, we ran into one of his rescue volunteers! The update? He made a full recovery and has officially been released back into the sea! 💙🎉

Reminder: If you ever spot a seal in distress, don't approach it—call BDMLR straight away! You might just save a life. 📞👇

22/10/2026

Animal Squad is offering a £500 grant to an animal welfare charity in Devon and Cornwall - will you help by nominating us?

Follow the link here to make your vote, it will take only 30 seconds of your time to potentially make a big difference ❤️

Thank you as always to our for their support!

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=2YD16-DWWECO1dziEtAbXH81qkgIgsNGpOHjA6tmuURUQjFHUDJVME41VUg4RjU3RU9YWDc3TFhQWi4u

13/10/2026

Time to introduce our next two patients…

Comté came in from Crackington Haven, a moulting whitecoat pup who was exhausted and underweight with no mum in sight. She also had a few grim-looking abrasions that needed some cleaning too.

After an overnight stay in care with our friends at Penbode Vets she came down to us for a few days where her attitude became apparent! She has now moved on to RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife 👍

A day later we were joined by Little Stinky from St Ives. She had some nasty head injuries despite being only a week old. Sadly the following day she declined rapidly with seizures, suspected to be the onset of sepsis from those wounds. Our team tried to treat her but she didn’t respond and the tough decision to relieve her pain had to be made 😢

Thank you to all our team who worked so hard looking after our two newest patients, as always it is a world of mixed fortunes for seals - researchers note around 70% don’t see their first birthday as life is so tough, and this figure is rising thanks to increasing storms due to climate change and increasing disturbance from human activity.

The Welsh Government has just announced a consultation on a proposed law to protect seals from disturbance, which is fantastic news and a big step forward for conservation - have your say on this link here: https://consultations.defra.gov.uk/mnla-call-for-evidence (closes 19 October).

Photos: Jodie Harper and Alison Davey.

28/09/2026

Meet our second patient of the season: Feta!

Unusually for us, Feta is a common seal. Despite the name they are not so abundant in south west England - we tend to see a lot more of our grey seals! Feta is just one of a very small number of common seals we have ever had the privilege to care for.

He came to us all the way from Boscombe in Dorset very underweight at just 12kg and with some digestive issues. During his time with is he brightened up and gained energy, so small but positive steps. He now continues his care at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary ❤️

You can support us in a variety of ways at the BDMLR Cornwall Seal Hospital, including sponsoring one of our pens! For more details please see https://bdmlr.org.uk/support-bdmlr-seal-hospitals

20/09/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated from our Amazon wishlist so far! We’re so pleased to have received gifts of thermometers, washing detergent, cotton wool, KY jelly and more ❤️

We haven’t had notes with most deliveries to shout out to you, but we did have one from a Miss Hancock to whom we are very grateful!

Our first admission, Golka is doing really well so far in her rehabilitation journey - we’ll update on her shortly, along with our newest arrival…!

In the meantime if you would like to help us care for our pups then you can find our Wishlist here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2NGWR80MQAOTO?ref_=wl_share

13/09/2026

Welcome to our first admission of the rescue season!

Meet Gołka, rescued yesterday from St Ives Bay 🦭

She is around 3-4 weeks old but unfortunately has found herself to be very underweight at 13.8kg, around half the weight she should be for this age. She also had a few minor infected wounds on her back and an ulcer in her left eye which are all now on treatment.

Our naming theme this season is cheeses!

You can directly support our seal hospital and our patients through our Amazon Wishlist here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2NGWR80MQAOTO?ref_=wl_share

Or donate via our Justgiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bdmlrcornwallsealhospital?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Thank you for any support you can give, it genuinely makes a difference to us here ❤️

14/08/2026

We've been quiet for a while, but that's not because nothing has been going on..! Far from it in fact - but more on that later 😉

As we gear up for our next busy grey seal rescue season in the south west, we're seeking critical support to help keep us operational by way of our annual pen sponsorship scheme!

For the first time we also have sponsorships available for our outdoor pool pens too 😄

Sponsorships include a plaque with your name, a guided talk and tour of our hospital with one of our team and email updates on all the patients that your pen has provided care for throughout the rescue season.

Please check out the link here for more details if you're keen to help our hospital in this special way: https://bdmlr.org.uk/support-bdmlr-seal-hospitals

🦭 Your name behind every rescue story written in our hospitals 🥰

Did you know our seal pup pens and pools are available for sponsorship?

You can help provide a safe space for rescued seals receiving vital care before taking the next step in their journey back to the wild

Whether you sponsor as an individual, family or business, your support helps fund the food, equipment, treatments and care each seal needs 💙

In return: you gain regular updates on all the seals in your pen, a tour of the hospital, a personalised plaque and much more!

👉 https://bdmlr.org.uk/support-bdmlr-seal-hospitals

24/04/2026

*TWO DAYS LEFT!*

Our online auction is almost over, click the link below to grab yourself an awesome gift such as:

- A voucher for stylish fashion from Chez Mimi French Fashions / Tortue UK
- An amazing original artwork from Emma Jeffreys
- A cool Armani watch
- A gift box from Michelle Williams at Classically Cornish
- A pair of comfortable Loci Wear trainers
- A lovely Whistlefish birds cavas picture

…and much more!

https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/auction/detail/auction_id/bdmlrcornwallsealhospitalauction2026

18/04/2026

Many thanks to the many donors who contributed to our online auction!

- A number of beautiful canvas seaside scenes from Michelle Williams at Classically Cornish
- A gorgeous seal painting by BDMLR patron Gordon Corrins at Corrins Art
- A snazzy set of luxury shot glasses by Waterford Crystal donated by Sam and Martin
- A surf lesson with OA Surf Club in Bude
- A wonderful kingsfisher framed photo by Martin Yelland
- A snorkel safari with the fab team at Wembury Marine Centre

Check out this and more on the link below - only nine days left to snag yourself something amazing and support our seals too ❤️🦭

https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/auction/detail/auction_id/bdmlrcornwallsealhospitalauction2026/allow_bid/1?fbclid=IwdGRleARQo61leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETA3RlZqYWhBMW9kNnlUTHBOc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuy4jSAyAS97kSlywGC02y_0op1Lf90X9yvQO9Q4w4xm5CA5xkdwOe4GP6Gm_aem_DK56R__vqDWFVCQHYoJlvg

16/04/2026

Here's a look at some more of the wonderful items available in our online auction - just 11 days left to bid one these and support our seal hospital!

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jumblebee.co.uk%2Fauction%2Fdetail%2Fauction_id%2Fbdmlrcornwallsealhospitalauction2026%2Fallow_bid%2F1%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwN0ZWamFoQTFvZDZ5VExwTnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7suI0gMgEve5EpcsBgtNsv9KKdS3_dF_cr0DvUOMOMZuQgOcZHcDnuBj-hpg_aem_DK56R__vqDWFVCQHYoJlvg&h=AT5eXzeXa9F5YUGG3hYGQngn4StlQNfQ-QDZOI4d2sVBlfFitpIkaG2DttSYJxKxesbdh48kMXkuLHMVjThUlrh5Wt01U0yHus3bQQY0QaPuJ6KISUkWDVG9pssoQjLGTtyaLj8FBJg4ccaM&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT65tb8KRD-b7FNiVFDZqfcvYfrQ4IXN8LeHm-fwl82ag7GSV3fOlfx4Ql7PimwAXHOPDoJL9BRUqfenxNKeUBK4DuCoKFzpfXy13rsvdnahPPY4w3AEEJBz-uC_KEjxYPjSB6dPcbfFssLo2Y6aQgFdO7DrSFE-ch8mOurKFxtT8HQysbUdLeh4nKJF9EC5rsi86taoJrQhftz60Mva_yTd

- A one night stay and meal voucher at the amazing The Portreath Arms!
- Signed book 'Look Good and Feel Fantastic' by Angela Yorke at Chez Mimi French Fashions / Tortue UK
- Tickets for the Minack Theatre
- An excellent framed photo of a surfing seal! 🦭
- A wildlife watching tour with Marine Discovery Penzance
- A stylish carved wooden w**e bottle holder

And much, much more - artworks, jewellery, photography, binoculars, surf lessons... the list goes on! We are hugely thankful to all donors who have given us items for this year's auction ❤️