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Seal Protection Group Site

British Divers Marine Life Rescue Montrose/Arbroath Areas

We are a voluntary group of British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) Marine Mammal Medics and have completed the BDMLR training in relation to dealing with strandings of cetaceans and other marine life. We are assisted by untrained volunteer observers and helpers.

This website deals with local content only and if you have arrived here from a search engine in mistake click on the BDMLR logo to the left to enter the official BDMLR website.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue was formed in the 1980's in response to a particularly bad outbreak of Phocine Distemper Virus which was killing hundreds of animals around the Wash area of England. It has grown in the following years to be a respected national marine mammal rescue organisation with groups covering the entire coastline of Britain. 

Although the team do regular patrols of their various sections it is the public who are responsible for most of our calls to animals who need our help. 

We do not, normally, care for the animals past the stages of rescue and "first aid" but pass our rescued animals onto to various rehabilitation centres around Scotland.

Quick Advice :

Seals

If you see a stranded seal on the foreshore.

• Do not approach it or let others or dogs approach, it will bite.
• Do not chase it into the sea.
• If in our area phone the co-ordinator, contact num. here
• If elsewhere phone the National Strandings Hotline, contact num. here
• If you are bitten by a seal you must attend hospital as soon as possible, you will require specialist antibiotic treatment.

Cetaceans

If you see a stranded Cetacean (Whale, Dolphin or Porpoise)

• Phone for help immediately using the above information
• Keep the area quiet. 
• These can be large animals, be very careful of sudden movements and be especially wary of their powerful tail and sharp teeth. If it is a large Dolphin or Whale do not do anything more until a knowledgeable person arrives.
• Approach a cetacean from it's front at about 45º.
• If the animal is on it's side, with help, gently roll it onto it's front.
• Very gently pull its fins out from it's body, dig shallow trenches to allow them to sit at the correct position (shown right).
• Keep it wet by dousing it with sea water but do not allow water or sand to enter it's blowhole (do not apply sun screen oils). Keep clear of the animals exhalations from the blowhole.
• Do not drag a cetacean, by it's tail, to the water.
• If you do handle the animal wash your hands as soon as possible.

• If you have no confidence about doing anything above do nothing

   after phoning, personal safety is paramount.

   

It is not envisaged that you will come upon a stranded large cetacean in our area, however, you may one day, be in a part of the country, or the world, where this is a likely occurrence.

Strandings, by likelihood, in our area are Grey seal pups (in Winter), Common seal pups (in Summer) and Porpoises (at any time).