A THREE-month-old harp seal surprised bathers last Monday, when it was found on the shores of Barranco beach in Vila do Bispo. The exhausted animal, which was covered in parasites, was immediately rescued and taken to Zoomarine’s rehabilitation centre in Guia.
The seal had been dragged by a strong current from the cold waters of northern Europe, where the species originates, to the waters of the Algarve.
When rescued, the animal measured one metre in length, less than half the seal’s normal size for its age. Biologists at Zoomarine are now examining the seal and it is hoped that it will return to the sea once recovered.
