Public urged to give seal pups space

People on the Isle of Man are being urged to keep their distance from seal pups which wash ashore.

The Manx Society for Marine Conservation has issued the plea after a seal pup was found on Peel Beach this week - it returned to the water 10 hours after first being spotted.
  
It says the animals go through five developmental stages whilst being weaned by their mothers - with stage five being left to fend for themselves. 

Due to that the society says it's not unusual to see the pups resting on beaches and around coastal areas whilst they build up their fat reserves. 

In most cases the seals return to sea by themselves however the society says the pups are very vulnerable to disturbance from humans and dogs and can be aggressive if approached. 

You can see a video of the Peel seal returning to the water on our Facebook page.