At the end of November Abeona had her stitches out after an operation to remove one of her eyes. This seal is very feisty!
Angel Delight does not always spend her time sitting on the side of the pool but she just likes to watch the visitors go by her enclosure and makes lots of noise. Also she is putting on weight nicely.
Flapjack is socialising nicely with the other rescued seal pups, Custard, Meringue, Sorbet, Todd, Treacle Tart and Waffle, in the rehabilitation pool. But he does like to chill out on a rock!
Marshmallow, a 12 weeks old male common seal pup, rescued from Hayle beach on the 29th of October 2025, was found malnourished and wounds to his body. Marshmallow spent some time in the hospital, is now doing really well in the outside to the nursery pools.
Sundae is still in the nursery pools and putting on weight slowly.
Treacle Tart had very swollen rear flippers and some deep lacerations on hips. Despite the swelling, x-rays showed no broken bones and she has been successfully treated and is now in the rehabilitation pool, eating and swimming fine.
These rescued seal pups are in the outside pools for their final stages of rehabilitation which means they are on the road to recovery and also have deeper pools to swim in.
They are doing really well and are learning how to compete for fish which are all vital skills seal pups will need when they are released back out into the wild.
Meringue loves laying on the side of the pool and gives the occasional wave!
Its time for 5 rescued seal pups to go home for Christmas!
The animal care team have been keeping an eye on the weather, waves and tides, so on the 23rd of December 2025 with the conditions perfect, no rain just cold, Todd, Meringue and Waffle were weighed and found to have reached their target weight of 30+kg. They were loaded into the vehicles and driven to a quiet beach in Cornwall. Click here to see a selection of the photos of the release.
The next day, Christmas Eve, it was time for Treacle Tart and Custard to return home as well, back into the sea! They also had their weight checked and were then loaded into the back of the vehicle from the rehabilitation pool and released back into the wild. We wished all these pups good luck and waved goodbye with a few tears in our eyes. Click here to see a selection of the photos of the release.
Big Give Christmas Challenge
Jazz Chater, Fundraising & Marketing Coordinator for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, said "Thanks to your incredible support, we´ve officially smashed our target and raised an amazing £8,220!
A huge thank you to our pledgers, and of course to every single one of you who donated, shared, and cheered us on. Your generosity truly makes a difference! We couldn´t do the work we love, without you."
Fancy taking on your own personal challenge for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary?
From 1st December 2025 - 4th January 2026, step into our festive wonderland in Secret Creek and follow a magical, heart-warming Christmas story trail the whole family will love.
Make the season extra special by treating our resident seals and pups to a delicious Fishmas Feast! Your support helps give them a Christmas to remember.
Visit our Seal Hospital to meet the newest rescue pups and discover how your visit helps their journey back to the wild.
Join us this Christmas for festive fun, adorable pups, and moments that make a difference.
We are open every day from 11 - 4pm (last entry 3pm), excluding Christmas Day!
Don´t miss our Christmas Lights & Story Trail!
Follow the magical story of Norbert the Beaver and his Golden Carrot, and wander through the woodlands with a festive hot chocolate for that extra bit of winter warmth!
A Christmas Surprise for Turnip - Female Beaver Kit arrives at the Sanctuary
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is delighted to welcome a new female beaver named Parsnip, who is ready to establish her own territory and begin an exciting new chapter alongside Turnip, a male beaver who has been eagerly awaiting her arrival!
Parsnip, who is around two years old, comes to the Sanctuary from Forestry England´s Cropton Forest enclosure. She also spent a short period at Flamingo Land before joining the Sanctuary, and her move has been carefully planned with the guidance of the Beaver Trust studbook to ensure a responsible and compatible pairing.
Parsnip will be joining Turnip, a male beaver who has been at the Sanctuary since last year. Turnip himself was a hand-reared orphan rescued by the SSPCA in Scotland and has been thriving under the Sanctuary´s care ever since. Together, Turnip and Parsnip will have the opportunity to establish their own territories and continue the Sanctuary´s important work in caring for orphaned beaver kits. Click here to read more.
Update : 16th December 2025 - Banana has a history of seizures that the Animal Care Team monitor closely throughout the year. She is in the nursery pool number 1 at the moment and the team are currently working with the Sanctuary´s vets to come up with a plan for her moving forward.
Please be assured that the Team are taking very good care of her and when she is feeling better, she can return to her enclosure with Altanta aka Attie. Get better soon Banana.
We hope you enjoy the selection of photos taken in December 2025, click here or on the photo of your choice below to see a larger version.
Christmas beach clean with @cornishsealsanctuary and the One Bag Beach Clean group took place at Helford Passage on Saturday 6th of December 2025!
Big thanks to our 24 lovely volunteers!
We collected 19.2kg of rubbish (16kg rubbish, 2.8kg recycling and 8 bags of dog poo)!
The beach wasn´t that bad but we collected a lot of cans and bottles from the nearby coast paths and car park.
Get organised for 2026 by ordering your Cornish Seal Sanctuary calendar now, a must-have for all of our supporters! This would make an amazing Christmas present!
Every penny helps the animals in our care, order now - 2026 Calendar
Adopt a Resident?
Give a gift that truly makes a difference, adopt a resident today and be a hero for wildlife!
By adopting one of the incredible resident seals or rescue puffins, you´ll be directly supporting their care and conservation! Your adoption helps to ensure that all of the resident animals receive the very best, from nutritious meals to expert veterinary support, and even fun enrichment activities to keep them happy and healthy.
Each adoption pack includes:-
- Certificate of Adoption
- A small Cornish Seal Sanctuary souvenir
- Photograph of your adopted resident
- Profile of your adopted resident
- 2 free entries to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary so you can visit your adopted friend
- Exclusive 20% voucher for the Café or Gift shop
Every adoption contributes to the ongoing efforts of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, helping with the rescue, rehabilitate, and protect marine life for generations to come.
Your adoption not only supports your chosen animal but also plays a vital role in marine conservation. By adopting today, you become part of the Sanctuary´s mission to protect these wonderful creatures and their habitats.
Click here for more details.
Click here to visit the Cornish Seal Sanctuary´s Official Online Shop.
Cornwall Council voted unanimously for a Voluntary Ban on hollow Flying Rings on the 22nd of July 2025 and we are sure that your county wants to demonstrate that you are just as caring towards our marine life, so please push for a voluntary ban on flying rings in your areas.
This isn´t about stopping people from enjoying the beach; it´s about making a small, simple change that has a huge impact. Solid flying discs are just as fun, but unlike flying rings, they don´t pose a deadly risk to seals, dolphins, and other marine wildlife. By making the right choice, we can all help prevent the needless suffering of our coastal animals.
Thanks for your continue support this petition has a chance at winning! We only need 3,074
more signatures to reach the next goal - can you help please?
Each released seal pup is given a flipper tag with an unique ID number. This helps the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, the Seal Research Trust and other organisations to track and monitor where pups end up and how they are doing once they are back in the wild.
This month the following seals were spotted in the wild around south-west England:-
By monitoring the behaviour of seals after released back into the wild, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Seal Research Trust and other organisations can use this information to define the best practice standards and policies that they can share with the international rescue community.
Each seal´s fur pattern is unique and enables the organisations to track them for life.
Seals face many challenges, yet we all depend on them to balance our marine ecosystem, which is essential to make the oxygen we breathe.
Seals are our globally rare wildlife tourist attraction, helping diversify coastal economic prosperity.
This news update has been put together by volunteers/supporters of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.
