A young seal’s sad demise on Monifieth beach has revealed a journey of several hundred miles that has astonished researchers.
They have marvelled not only at the distance it swam before meeting its fate, but also that it has come to rest so close to St Andrews University which was recording its movements.
Duncan Yeadon, director of the Natureland Seal Sanctuary at Skegness, said: “It is ironic that it has got that far and where it has ended up. We release rehabilitated seals and St Andrews records data on where they get to.
“It’s amazing that, of all the places where it could have gone, this one reached a place very close to St Andrews.”
Ailsa Hall, acting director of the St Andrews Sea Mammals Research Unit, said: “It’s unusual for a young harbour seal to come this far and quite a coincidence that it has found its way so near to us across the Tay at Monifieth.”
The young harbour seal was found dead on the beach near to Tayview Caravan Park at lunchtime on Friday by student Fiona Snaddon who was out for a walk.
“I saw the tags on its flippers one yellow saying No 5 and one blue saying London Zoo should be informed if found,” she said. “That suggested it was being monitored as part of a research project.”
Our inquiries revealed that the zoo’s tag was attached as a reference point and the seal was released into the North Sea by the sanctuary at Skegness on November 5.