Seals and porpoises in Zeeland
The seals of A Seal
Written by: Miranda de Moor
Miranda de Moor lives with her husband Michael and daughter Lizzy on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee. If it were up to her, this island would be on everybody’s list of places to stay in Zeeland. Why? To answer this question she takes us on a trip to A Seal in Stellendam and tells us something about her visit. Read on ...
Seal sanctuary in Stellendam
Passing through the fishing village of Stellendam, we eventually arrive at the A Seal Seal Sanctuary. It’s a delightful route and along the way take in the magnificent sight of all the fishing boats bobbing up and down in the harbour. Once we’ve arrived, our hostess Anka Beyer is waiting for us to tell us endearingly about ‘her’ seals. It’s good to see how lovingly the seals are cared for! A guided tour of the sanctuary should not be missed!
Take a guided tour
During the tour, visitors will be given all sorts of information about these lovely creatures. For example, how they are looked after and how they live in the wild. When their cubs are born, they bask with their mothers on the sandbanks. Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances might drive the mother seals into the water, abandoning their baby seals in the process. If the cubs are found, they will be picked up and taken to the sanctuary. Here they are looked after until they are strong enough to look after themselves in the wild. Sick and exhausted seals are also collected so that they can recover their strength.
Differences between seals
A film shows us how over a period of around three months seals recover sufficiently to be put back into the sea. These are mainly grey seals and common seals. Anka is able to explain their differences in fine detail. Once you’ve been given the guided tour, you’ll be able to summarise all the major differences between the two.
At www.aseal.nl you’ll be able to see where and when seals have been put back into the sea. A visit to A Seal is highly educational, fun for kids, but for adults too. In short, a visit to A Seal is definitely worth putting on your list of places to visit. How about some seal-spotting for yourself? Read more about spotting seals in Zeeland here.
