Author: Yvette Wolters

The festive opening of the WEC (World Heritage Center Wadden Sea) on April 26 followed the rhythm of the tide. During the day, at low tide, we welcomed donors, volunteers, seal guardians, staff, and family for a first introduction to the new home of the Seal Centre Pieterburen Foundation.

Foto’s: Niels Knelis

In the evening, exactly at 9:33 PM during high tide, the official opening moment took place. The Wadden Sea symbolically “opened” the WEC itself, accompanied by an impressive water spectacle that highlighted the unique character of this place.

Led by presenter Janine Abbring – closely connected to the region – speakers Niek Kuizenga (initiator), Adriaan Dönszelmann (project director), and Katja Philippart (Wadden Academy) spoke about the importance of the WEC as a center for education, research, connection, and admiration of the Wadden Sea World Heritage.

During this special evening, Niek Kuizenga announced his departure as director of the Seal Center Pieterburen and the WEC. Since 2013, he has worked with the team on a broader vision: from focusing solely on the seal to embracing the entire Wadden region, with the seal as a symbol of healthy nature. That vision now comes to life in the new center. The opening marks the highlight of his years of dedication.

The Supervisory Board expressed its appreciation:

“Niek always kept believing in the WEC and, when necessary, went against the tide. Thanks to his perseverance, this dream has become reality. With the opening, a milestone is reached and a new phase begins for the Seal Center and the WEC.”

From now on, the doors of the WEC are open to the public. We warmly invite you to come and discover for yourself this special place where nature, knowledge, and wonder come together.

Welcome to our new home.

Seal Lucky was found yesterday evening in North Holland, entangled in a fishing net. He was previously spotted near Petten, but catching him was not possible. This time we were lucky: we were able to bring him safely to the shelter because freeing him on the beach was not possible.

Entanglement by fishing nets and other debris is a major problem for seals. They can become trapped, causing wounds and limiting their movement. Without help, these animals can become seriously weakened. 

Fortunately, our seal guards keep a close eye on the coast. They observe and report entangled animals so that they can be helped in time. Thanks to them, Lucky could be saved in time. Miraculously, he had no serious injuries.

Stranding coordinator Emmy Venema: “There are no injuries. Lucky was lucky and can go home soon.”

After two nights in the shelter, he is ready to return to the Wadden Sea tomorrow – exactly where he belongs!

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Without the help of our donors, we cannot do this important work. Support us today so that we can continue to save and care for seals like Lucky in the future.

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We currently have several injured grey seal pups in our seal hospital. They need extra medication, extra examinations or surgeries to survive again in the wild soon. We would like to tell you how they are doing now.

Bibble underwent surgery on his hindflipper last Sunday, because his toe had to be amputated due to a severe infection. The surgery went well, and Bibble is now recovering in Phase 1. He is still a bit quiet, probably due to the pain from the surgery.

Codie and Sophronia are recovering well and are in Phase 2 together. Codie's eye has been removed and the surgical wound is as good as healed. Sophronia's deep neck wound and damaged eye are clean and almost healed.

Codie in Phase 2

Witje had a swollen flipper and a damaged eye, both of which have healed. He also has pebbles in his stomach, but doesn't seem to be bothered by them, and they are decreasing. This is normal in some other seal species, so we are keeping an eye on it. We also sedated Witje yesterday to remove a loose tooth and cleaned the wounds in his mouth for healing. He is now recovering in Phase 1.

And then there is Jutter. Jutter has many issues, including multiple fractures, swallowing and stomach problems, and possibly a bone infection in his hind flipper. Unfortunately, we keep discovering more issues almost every check-up. Yesterday, we started feeding him fish, as salmon porridge doesn’t provide enough nutrients long-term. If this doesn’t go well, humane euthanasia may be the best option, as he is suffering from many issues and we cannot maintain his condition without proper feeding. The feeding is going reasonably well so far, and if this continues, we will reassess the bone infection in a week and adjust treatment accordingly.

Jutter

We’d like to end with good news: thanks to your support, Lophi has fully recovered from his eye surgery and is being released back into the wild today! This is why we do it!

Will you help support the injured pups? We receive no government funding, so every cent goes directly to seal care. You can donate via this page or by adopting a seal.

May 8, 2024 marks the commemoration of a sad milestone. On this day, Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen was able to liberate the 40th seal victim from entanglement, which would have eventually proved fatal for the seal. This brings the total number of reported entanglements to the same level as the entire previous year. An alarming increase.

The young Grey Seal was found on the beach of Camperduin, entangled in a fishing net. It was a gill net spanning several meters. Fortunately, a passerby spotted the animal and reported it to the local Seal Guardian. Responding swiftly, they managed to free the seal on the spot.

The seal centers are concerned about this significant increase in the reported numbers of entanglements. Besides fishing nets, Seal Guardians also encounter animals entangled in materials such as potato sacks, frisbees, rubber rings, construction plastic, ship ropes, and fishing lines.

Due to the increase in these specific situations, the three seal centers (A Seal, Ecomare, and Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen) have established the Seal Response Team to provide on-site assistance to entangled animals. More information about this collaboration can be found at:

Please note: While writing this press release, seal number 41 was found on the beach of Schiermonnikoog. Unfortunately, the animal fled into the water before assistance could be provided.