Urgent mission to rescue seal trapped by plastic ring, suffocating slowly.

A young grey seal has been spotted in Brixham Harbour in Devon, and unfortunately, it seems to be in distress. The reason? A plastic ring is tightly stuck around its neck, slowly choking the poor creature. It's believed that the seal may have been drawn to the bright red rubbish, mistaking it for something fun to play with, but now it's unable to break free.

Sarah Greenslade, from the Seal Project, is doing everything she can to save the juvenile male seal. However, it's not an easy task. She can't trap or tranquilize the seal while it's still in the water, so they have to patiently wait for it to come onto land on its own. Sarah explains, "We're hoping that the seal will be able to force the plastic off itself, as it's still healthy and strong. But the longer it stays on, the tighter it will get, and it could become fatal."

The piece of plastic pollution is believed to be a discarded seal from a tin of marine paint. Brixham Harbour, located on the south coast of Devon in southwest England, is a popular spot for seals, making it a great place to see them in their natural habitat. However, due to the seal's quick movements and reluctance to come onto land, there's not much that can be done at the moment. The team is closely monitoring the situation, but their hands are tied until the seal makes its way onto land.

Sarah first noticed the seal with the plastic collar on Boxing Day morning, but she had seen him looking fine on Christmas Day, which means he must have been caught in the plastic recently. A spokesperson from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue expressed concern, stating, "As the plastic gets tighter and tighter, it will eventually cut into the seal's blubber, causing serious harm. It's unlikely that the seal will be able to free itself, so its only hope is to come out of the water. Unfortunately, we can't trap or sedate a seal while it's in the water."

The UK is home to two types of native seals, the grey seal and common seal, both of which are protected species. According to the Mammal Society, there are approximately 120,000 adult grey seals in the UK. Brixham Harbour is listed as one of the top locations to see seals by Visit South Devon, and they add, "With so many fish in the area, it's no surprise that seals love swimming around Brixham Harbour. It's a great spot to catch a glimpse of them, whether they're resting in the harbor or scavenging for discarded fish from the trawlers."

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