It’s seal pup stranding season and here, Verona Veltman shares information and practical advice. She’s informed by her experience as a veteran marine-life first responder, and advice and information from marine mammal curator at Bayworld, Gqeberha, Dr Greg Hofmeyr.
Sealpup strandings
Cape fur seals breed at a single location in Algoa Bay, at Black Rocks, in the Bird Island Group, Woody Cape. Some 400 to 800 pups are born every summer, from early November to mid January. Pups are black and about half a metre in length.
These pups cannot swim well until March. When rough seas and storm surges coincide with spring high tides, pups can be washed off the rocks of their low lying and narrow island. As they are not good swimmers yet, many are swept out to sea and the survivors end up on our shoreline, typically between Woody Cape and Port Alfred.
The majority come ashore at Cannon Rocks where first responders collect them. Please DO NOT chase them back to sea as they will probably drown from exhaustion. They will not come ashore if there are people and dogs in the area. Please give them a wide space and call the first responders (see below) as soon as possible. They are easily spooked and will dash back to sea and the chance to catch them diminishes. Please do not feed them – they are not yet weaned from mother’s milk.
It is essential that first responders get them to Bayworld as a matter of urgency. They have about a seven-day window to be reunited, by boat, to Black Rocks, with their moms or else their moms go back to sea and the pups will starve. The moms and pups recognise each other by unique calls. Bayworld rehydrates, tags and cares for them before transferring them back to their island.
Rabies alert
Our response and protocols have been complicated by the advent of rabies in seals. Only rabies-vaccinated agents may attend to the rescue of sealpups and seals. That means only [Ndlambe animal control officer] Anel Slabbert, Verona Veltman and Lionel Taylor (Cannon Rocks) and Richard (Port Alfred).
That puts us under tremendous pressure so we still need the public’s help to secure the areas of any strandings until we can get there: keep people and dogs away, send pin location and photos as soon as possible. Please remain at least 6 metres away from them.
Fortunately Lionel has a Sanparks permit to drive on the beach to collect stranded animals – White Pajero. Tyres have to be deflated and inflated – this all takes time plus travel time. We really need your help to protect the sealpups.
All seals are protected under the Seabirds & Seals Protection Act of 1973 and it is an offence to disturb them.
Contact numbers of marine life first responders:
Cannon Rocks:
Verona Veltman: 083-654-9976
Lionel Taylor: 082-728-9907
Boknes:
Pieter van Tonder: 082-782-4295
Jaap van Veen: 082-940-1732
General (Ndlambe animal control officer)
Anel Slabbert: 060-983-5549
Sanccob emergency: 064-019-8936
Bayworld Strandings Hotline: 071-724-2122
Spring high tides (i.e. when sealpups are more likely to wash ashore)
2-8 Dec
24-28 Dec
1-7 Jan
19-24 Jan
31 Jan – 6 Feb
16-22 Feb
Editor’s note: Talk of the Town asked Bayworld marine mammal curator Dr Greg Hofmeyr how likely it would be that seals washed up on Ndlambe’s beaches may be infected with rabies. He said this week: “It is unlikely, but possible, so one needs to be careful with every seal.”
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, November 27, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
