Fate not sealed

Macca the baby seal (above) was saved from the wrath of the North Sea by skippers of a tourist boat on Sunday.

The two-day-old female seal pup was saved from drowning by Mr William McPhee and Mr Andrew Weightman, who were taking sightseers on a boat tour of the Farne Islands, a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England.

They spotted the drowning pup off South Scarcar Island and brought her on board. The pup was breathing badly after inhaling sea water.

A Tynemouth Seal Rescue Unit spokesman said: "She would certainly have drowned if not for the quick thinking and efforts of William and Andrew."

The little pup, now named Macca after Mr McPhee's nickname, is making a recovery and gaining energy.

She is believed to be the first seal pup to be born this season, and had been separated from her mother. Baby seal pups are completely dependent on their mothers.

The rescued pup is now being cared for by British Divers Marine Life Rescue volunteers and Blue Reef Aquarium staff in Tynemouth.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 21, 2019, with the headline Fate not sealed. Subscribe