National Seal Sanctuary - Gweek
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The Sanctuary started in the
winter of 1958 when a baby seal, only a few hours old, was washed up on
the beach at St Agnes. Ken Jones lived with his wife just one hundred
yards from the beach, he picked up the pup and took it back to his small
garden. For many years he ran a rescue centre for seals and oiled
birds, with just one pool, at St Agnes. The news of his work with seals
spread, and he received more and more calls about injured seals. Ken realised he needed more room, as the single pool at St Agnes was just not big enough. The Sanctuary moved to Gweek in 1975, and Ken slowly built up the size, and number of pools, so he could care for the increasing number of seals that were being rescued around the Cornish coast. Today the Sanctuary has nursery pools, convalescence, and resident pools, and a specially designed hospital. The hospital over the years has been extended to include isolation pools, as well as treatment and preparation areas. We have rescued many seals over the years, and most are well enough to be released back into the wild after treatment, but some seals, for various reasons, would not survive back in the wild, so we have them as our guests at the Sanctuary. Open daily from 10am except Christmas Day. Please call or email for closing times. Dogs on leads always welcome. Groups discounts available for advanced bookings of 10 or more. Experience animal welfare in action at Cornwall’s only Seal Sanctuary and rescue centre. Hear about dramatic rescues and meet the seal and sea lion characters whose individual stories are brought to life during your visit. The Sanctuary is also home to fun loving otters, playful penguins, potty paddock animals and a rock pool hosting a wide range of marine creatures.
Tucked against the picturesque backdrop of the Helford River, the Sanctuary is a designated site of special scientific interest and an area of outstanding natural beauty. Our 40 acre centre also boasts a woodland quiz trail, café with undercover seating, and two gift shops. Don’t miss out on our great all year round events calendar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||