Trapped Seal Nanette Finally Freed After Weeks of Failed Rescue Attempts

A grey seal entangled in monofilament netting has been successfully freed by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) volunteers after weeks of failed attempts due to human disturbance.

Weeks of Waiting and Missed Chances

Since around Christmas 2024, BDMLR’s Cornwall team, alongside the Seal Research Trust, had been monitoring an adult female grey seal named Nanette, who had been spotted in a semi-accessible location on the north Cornwall coast. Given the right conditions, rescuers believed they could capture and cut her free from the netting causing her distress.

However, two previous rescue attempts were thwarted when people on the clifftop ignored barriers, warnings, and direct advice from Seal Research Trust volunteers monitoring the area. Their presence caused Nanette, along with other seals, to flee into the sea, prolonging her suffering and wasting the rescue team’s efforts.

Success on the Third Attempt

On Friday, 31st January, the team’s persistence paid off. Five experienced BDMLR volunteers, including a veterinarian, accessed the beach unnoticed and carried out a carefully planned rescue. Using a large cargo net, they immobilised Nanette before further restraining her in a specialist stretcher to keep her still while assessing the entanglement.

The situation was more severe than expected. A small amount of monofilament netting had cut so deeply into her neck that the wound had healed over it, enclosing it within her body. This made the disentanglement process far more complex. With the knots unable to be pulled through cleanly, the team had to cut them in a specific order to release the strands safely.

After a meticulous operation, they successfully removed the netting, freeing Nanette and significantly improving her quality of life.

A Team Effort

The BDMLR team credited the success to the collaborative efforts of their volunteers and the Seal Research Trust surveyors, whose monitoring and planning played a crucial role in securing Nanette’s rescue.