Pups Update : 28th of February 2026 - The whereabouts of the rescued seal pups. Do you have a favourite? all of the staff have their own favourite rescued pup(s).
Once these rescued seal pups are stable and are at a healthy weight in the hospital, they will be moved down to the outside nursery pools for their next stage of rehabilitation.
The rescued seal pups in the nursery pools are on the road to recovery and ready to mix with other seal pups, as well as have a deeper pool to swim in.
The pups will be learning how to behave in the wild, interacting with other seals and also competing for their fish, which are all vital skills the pups will need when they are released back into their ocean home.
The rehabilitation pool is the final stage of the rescued seal pups recovery! The pups in this enclosure are now healed of any wounds, recovered from any illnesses, and some just need to put on a few more kilos to get to the target weight of 30+kg before they are released back into the wild.
Christmas Pudding (left) and Sierra (right) are enjoying saying hello to the lovely visitors that come to their window.
There was a break in the weather, so on the 14th of February 2026, it was time to release Blueberry Shortcake, Profiterole and Womble. They have completed their rehabilitation and reached their ideal release weight of 30kg+. During the release of these pups, the animal care team were assisted by some of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) marine mammal medic volunteers.
It´s Pup Season at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary
This February School Half Term - step into Pup Season and discover the incredible journey seal pups take from rescue to release.
Meet our rescued pups, learn how they´re rehabilitated by our expert team, and uncover the real challenges seal pups face in the wild. Plus, don´t miss our pup naming trail, perfect for little explorers! With talks and feeds, seal pup rescue demos, and plenty of opportunities to learn, Pup Season is an unforgettable family experience with conservation at its heart. Book your tickets in advance today!
For Locals - Annual Passes only available to residents with TR, EX and PL postcodes, proof of address will be required! The Sanctuary´s discounted Locals´ Pass is only on sale in February, so now´s the perfect time to visit!
Mums go FREE...for a Wild Mother´s Day!
Whether you´re a Mum, Step-mum, Grandma, Nana, Nan, Nonna or even a Great-Grandma, enjoy a FREE* day out on us! Join us at the Sanctuary on Mother´s Day, Sunday 15th March 2026, meet the resident seals and puffins, hear from our dedicated teams and see our rescued seal pups before they return to the wild.
Enjoy a relaxing walk around the sanctuary, take in the views and grab a hot cuppa with a delicious slice of cake in our Café...or bring your own picnic to enjoy!
Every purchase from our shop supports the animals in our care - From homeware and jewellery to animal adoptions...treat mum to a gift that really makes an impact.
To avoid disappointment, please order before Monday 9th March 2026 for delivery by Mother´s Day.Shop here.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust have released the Beavers, Turnip and Parsnip, on behalf of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary into the wild.
Parsnip and Turnip, were already living as a bonded pair before the Cornwall Wildlife Trust received the Cornish Seal Sanctuary´s licence - now the Beavers have taken the next step into the wild together as part of the first week of re-introductions. They have moved onto their next chapter, and have been trans-located to a release site here in the South West of England in February 2026.
Thanks to the amazing collaboration between The Beaver Trust, Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Forestry England, Flamingo Land Resort, and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, these beavers are now free to thrive and hopefully establish a healthy founding population in the wild.
The next step is for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary to carry out maintenance to the enclosure due to a large amount of damage caused by the recent storms and heavy rain fall. Due to the damage sustained, this may take a little longer to repair than usual.
We hope to be able to welcome more beavers soon, and thank you for your patience.
Love You Beach Day
A big thank you to the 41 volunteers who braved the rain and came to show some love for our local beach at Helford Passage on Sunday 15th of February 2026. This was collaboration between the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, One Bag Beach Clean and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.
Our biggest haul ever at Helford Passage, total of 37kg collected including 2kg recycling.
We found a boot, 2 flip flops, an old buoy, fishing net and rope, 3 bags of dog poo, an old glass bottle and tshirt.
We hope you enjoy the selection of photos taken in February 2026, click here or on the photo of your choice below to see a larger version.
Fancy taking on your own personal challenge for the Cornish Seal Sanctuary?
A huge thank you to all of our amazing supporters who have shown our seals and puffins some love this February! This month you have donated over £275 through our "Hugs & Fishes" fundraiser! If you´d like to, you can still donate to this appeal, every donation goes towards the care of the residents. Please donate here.
The staff have been doing a bit of spring cleaning at the Sanctuary this month and discovered these paintings! Do you remember these on display?
Some research revealed that these paintings were by Marsden Prophet (1933-1993) was a 20th-century Cornish Artist, likely based in St Ives, known for oil-on-board paintings featuring coastal scenes, harbour views, and, occasionally, tavern interiors.
Gold star behaviour from Logs, he absolutely smashed his dentist visit and has been so confident with his pool annex training. We´re very proud!
Meanwhile...Jarvis chose chaos this month. After climbing on top of the cave, he decided that coming back down was simply not an option, giving the poor animal care team quite the shock!
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.
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is expressing frustration after a hollow flying ring was discovered on a quiet beach near Gweek. The ring was spotted by Seal Research Trust volunteers, Elizabeth Hall and her daughter Flo, during a walk with their dog late last year.
"Seals are naturally inquisitive and often play with objects they find along the shore. Unfortunately, hollow flying rings can become trapped over their heads, causing slow and painful injuries, sometimes even resulting in death" said Grace Jones, Conservation Officer at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.
Cornwall Council voted unanimously to introduce a voluntary ban on hollow flying rings. The initiative is not about preventing people from enjoying the beach; it´s a simple measure that can have a huge impact on marine wildlife. Solid flying discs offer the same fun but do not carry the same deadly risk for seals, dolphins, and other coastal animals. Click here to read the press release.
For campaigners, reaching 100,000 signatures is critical to driving lasting change.
Above photos credits - Elizabeth Hall (holding the flying ring) / UK Seal Alliance for the sticker
We went to check on a seal haul-out during low tide in Cornwall this month - we hope you like our photos. Click here to see a selection of photos.
These photos were taken with Nikon Coolpix P1000 camera which contains a 3000mm zoom lens!
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.
