Above: British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Area Coordinator for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Chris Wood, with ABP Health, Safety and Environment Officer, Hollie Davies.
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are impressive counties to enjoy wildlife watching, with seabirds and marine mammals seen on and off the coastline all year round.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) work across the area and beyond, helping marine and freshwater wildlife that have been identified as needing assistance. The work, carried out by trained BDMLR Marine Mammal Medics, can range from supporting stranded marine mammals such as porpoises and dolphins, to rescuing injured, sick or entangled seals and birds.
Area Coordinator, Chris Cook, visited Associated British Ports (ABP) to pick up a collection of towels and cotton sheets donated by ABP colleagues from across the Humber Ports. Chris took the time to speak with the team on the importance of these donations to the charity.
Chris said: “In November and December grey seals come to various coastal locations to give birth to their pups, meaning we are now coming into a busy time of year. As the pups mature and leave the coastline they can easily get injured in stormy seas, their curious nature means marine litter can also cause them issues.
All our Marine Mammal Medic team need a good supply of towels to safely handle seals and make their transit to care clinics as comfortable as possible.”
ABP’s voluntary Green and Clean Team, who coordinate activities to help ABP reduce waste and create places for wildlife to live across the Humber Ports, have been hosting a collection for many years now. Last year ABP also funded the purchase of new life-sized inflatable marine mammals that are used to train volunteers with the important skills required for carrying out rescue work.
Chris added: “If anyone has a donation of clean cotton towels or sheets with no loose threads, please contact the BDMLR and we will arrange collection.
Something everyone can do to help marine mammals like seals, especially at this sensitive time of year, and wildlife generally, is to ensure your dogs are kept on leads, for their safety as much as the seals. Never approach a seal or disturb it in any way, they will be resting, which is vital to enhance their energy reserves for heading back into the water to feed. Should you see marine mammals or birds in need of assistance then please contact the BDMLR.”
To find out more about the BDMLR you can visit their website - https://bdmlr.org.uk/ or follow their social media channels @BDMLR.
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