At the WEC (World Heritage Centre Wadden Sea), the new home of Seal Centre Pieterburen, a seal was taken in last week after becoming severely entangled in a fishing net. Although the net could be removed on the spot, the injuries were so serious that the animal had to be euthanised.

This once again highlights the impact human waste can have: it is the third seal this year to be admitted with such injuries. In March, Lucky was rescued—a young seal with a fishing net tightly wrapped around its neck. Thanks to prompt intervention and intensive care, he survived and was released a few days later. In April, grey seal Tangle was admitted, but his entanglement had left him so weakened that vets were unable to save him.

No chance of survival

For this third seal, named Kavga—Turkish for ‘fighter’—the situation initially appeared hopeful. Seal wardens on the island of Terschelling managed to cut the net loose but immediately noticed deep wounds on the animal’s front flippers. He was swiftly transported to Lauwersoog for further treatment.

Upon arrival, it became clear that Kavga had multiple severe injuries, including a deep gash that had penetrated the wrist joint of his left front flipper. The wound rapidly deteriorated, causing the joint to rupture completely beyond recovery.

The only possible treatment would have been to amputate the entire flipper. However, seals in the wild rely on both front flippers to survive, making amputation an unviable option. Euthanasia was therefore the only humane course of action.

A disturbing pattern

In less than half a year, three severely entangled seals have been admitted to the seal hospital—and these are just the animals that made it to a rescue centre. These are no longer isolated incidents, but signs of a worrying trend. The entanglements are a direct consequence of human pollution: fishing nets, ropes and other marine debris.

The impact on the animals is grave—many suffer severe injuries or do not survive. The Seal Response Team, a collaboration between three Dutch rescue centres, has reported a doubling in the number of entangled seal cases over the past year.

Raising awareness is the first step

The Seal Centre Pieterburen Foundation is calling for greater awareness of the impact human behaviour has on wild animals. Entanglement in fishing gear is a visible example, but human disturbance on beaches—by people and their dogs—also takes a toll.

In recent weeks, two seal pups have already been admitted due to human disturbance. When people are nearby, a mother seal may be too afraid to return to her pup, leaving it abandoned. Sick or weakened seals also sometimes lose the chance to rest and recover because they are approached or chased. In all of these cases, the animal ends up in care unnecessarily—disturbance that could often be easily avoided simply by keeping a respectful distance.

The public is therefore urged to always stay at least thirty metres away from a seal on the beach. Not sure if the animal needs help? Call one of the local rescue centres.

The common seal's birthing season has officially begun. At the newly opened WEC (Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre), the new home of Seal Centre Pieterburen Foundation, the first pup of the summer season was taken in last night. The seal, named Laurie, is two to three days old and born prematurely. She had to be taken in after being disturbed by people and dogs.

The name Laurie is an ode to the new location in the harbour of Lauwersoog. Laurie is not only the first common seal pup of 2025, but also the very first seal to be brought into the new seal hospital.

Verstoord door mensen

Laurie werd maandagochtend aangetroffen op een druk strand op Vlieland, zonder moeder in zicht. Ondanks het plaatsen van waarschuwingsbordjes bleven veel mensen en loslopende honden in de buurt van de pup. De aanwezigheid van mensen en honden weerhoudt een moederzeehond ervan om terug te keren naar haar jong.

Waar bij oudere zeehonden soms wordt gekozen voor verplaatsing naar een rustigere locatie, is dat bij een jonge pup zoals Laurie niet mogelijk. Ze is naar schatting pas twee tot drie dagen oud en daardoor nog volledig afhankelijk van de melk van haar moeder. De kans dat haar moeder haar pup bij verplaatsing terugvindt is nihil. Opvang was in dit geval dan ook de enige verantwoorde keuze.

Niet per se verweesd

Dat een pup alleen op het strand wordt aangetroffen, betekent niet automatisch dat ze is verlaten door haar moeder. Uit onderzoek van Stichting Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen blijkt dat moederzeehonden hun jongen tijdelijk kunnen achterlaten om te jagen – soms wel tot acht uur lang. Daarna keren ze terug om hun pup te zogen.

Zorgvuldige afweging

“Bij zulke jonge dieren maken we altijd een zorgvuldige afweging, samen met de dierenartsen,” vertelt Emmy Venema, strandingcoördinator bij Stichting Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen. “In Lauries geval was het duidelijk: de verstoring was te groot en de overlevingskans zonder moeder te klein. Dan grijpen we in. Het is een treurig gevolg van menselijk handelen.”

Te vroeg geboren

Laurie krijgt momenteel intensieve verzorging in het zeehondenziekenhuis in Lauwersoog en wordt continu gemonitord. Ze wordt meerdere keren per dag gevoed met een vette zalmpap, die qua samenstelling het dichtst in de buurt komt van moedermelk. Omdat ze prematuur is – te vroeg geboren – heeft ze extra aandacht nodig. Dat is goed te zien aan haar witte vacht, het zogenoemde lanugo, die gewone zeehonden normaal al in de baarmoeder verliezen. Ook haar gewicht is met 7 kilo lager dan gemiddeld bij de geboorte. Door haar vroege komst en kwetsbare start is intensieve zorg essentieel voor haar herstel.

Zichtbaar voor bezoekers én via de livestream

Bezoekers van het WEC kunnen Laurie vanaf vandaag bekijken in een van de intensivecareverblijven van het centrum. Daar is te zien hoe ze wordt gevoerd of ligt te rusten. Laurie is de eerste zeehond die sinds de opening van het centrum in Lauwersoog op 26 april is opgevangen. Haar komst onderstreept het belang van het nieuwe WEC als plek voor educatie, natuurbehoud en professionele opvang van zeehonden.

Daarnaast is Laurie 24 uur per dag te volgen via een van de livestreams van Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen. Voor (internationale) fans biedt de livestream een ideale manier om Laurie op afstand te blijven volgen.

Did you know...

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 Tangle heeft de gevolgen van een diepe verstrikking in een visnet niet overleefd – een tragisch gevolg van menselijk afval in zee. Het dier werd vorige week met spoed naar Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen gebracht, waar hij direct uit het net werd bevrijd en intensieve zorg kreeg. Hij bleek te verzwakt om nog te kunnen herstellen.  

Grey seal Tangle was found on Callantsoog beach (North Holland) on Monday 31 March, with his neck entangled in a fishing net. Due to the depth of the wounds, the animal needed immediate care. He was taken to Sealcentre Pieterburen, where vets cut him loose from the fishing net. Days of intensive care followed.

Extremely weakened after prolonged entanglement

Tangle appeared severely weakened: he had extreme emaciation and was completely exhausted. The vets started medication and pain relief. After attempts to feed him fish, they switched to fish porridge, as he was too weak to eat on his own. Despite intensive care, his condition suddenly deteriorated on Saturday 6 April. Despite their efforts, the vets could do nothing more for him at that point.

The autopsy revealed that Tangle was suffering from severe malnutrition, a high parasite load and presumably an infection in his lungs. "All in all, he was so severely weakened by prolonged entanglement that we could not let him recover from it," said András Máté Ludányi, veterinarian at Sealcentre Pieterburen.

Increasing entanglements

Tangle is no exception. More and more seals are becoming entangled in marine litter. The Seal Response Team (SRT), a collaboration between the three seal sanctuaries in the Netherlands, received nearly 80 reports of seals entangled in 2024. That was more than double the previous year's figure.

Most entanglements are caused by so-called “ghost nets”: discarded or dislodged pieces of fishing net that continue to float around in the sea. This happens, for example, when a net gets caught on something on the seabed and rips apart. Although fishermen, beach clean-ups and initiatives such as Dive the North Sea Clean remove a lot of litter from the sea, unfortunately a lot is still left behind.

Sealcentre busy with relocation

Tangle's reception comes at a time when the Sealcentre is busy with its move to the WEC (Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre) in Lauwersoog. Here you can visit not only the seal hospital, but also an interactive exhibition about the Wadden Sea. The exhibition shows how nature, humans and the sea are inextricably linked and also the effects of human actions on all creatures in the Wadden area.

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!

Support our work
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.

Did you know...

The rare black seal Ebbie was released at Schiermonnikoog on Friday. After a two-month rehabilitation period at Sealcentre Pieterburen, she was ready for a return to the wild. This also makes her one of the last seals to be taken care of at Pieterburen before moving to Lauwersoog.

Foto’s: Jeroen Hoekendijk

Special release

Last Friday, Ebbie was released on a sandbank near Schiermonnikoog under the watchful eye of seal centre staff. She went together with grey seal pup Omid, who was at the shelter for about the same period. While Omid bobbed quickly to the water, Ebbie needed a bit more time to get used to her surroundings. Eventually, they both swam to the horizon.

Normally a release takes place with a small group of visitors, but this time the press was also present to capture the special farewell. Moreover, thousands of people watched from the bench via a livestream.

Ebbie's stay at the center

Ebbie was found on 3 January on a busy beach near Egmond, in North Holland. She was skinny and surrounded by people and dogs, so she could not find rest. Relocation was not possible, so she was transferred to our seal center. At intake, her age was estimated at seven to 10 days. She was healthy except for a few small, superficial wounds on her head and flippers.

Because Ebbie still had her white birth coat at the intake, it was only after a week in the center that it became clear she is a melanistic seal. When she shed, to the team's surprise, a completely black fur emerged. Melanism is the opposite of albinism: not a lack of pigment, but rather an excess of melanin, which makes for a black fur. In seals, this is rare. In the Netherlands, such a dark colour does not affect their chances of survival - seals are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators.

According to András Máté Ludányi, veterinarian at the Sealcentre, Ebbie's stay had few peculiarities: "Her stay in the centre was relatively uneventful, she had some bleeding from her belly button in the beginning but it luckily didn’t get infected. She became a self eater very quickly compared to other pups in general - just after 5 days."

Moving

Ebbie is among the last seals to be cared for at Pieterburen before the center moves to the WEC in Lauwersoog. Pieterburen's new home will open to the public on 26 April.

Watch the livestream:

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.

We have a remarkable pup in its care: Ebbie, a melanistic grey seal. Melanism is a rare phenomenon in which animals are completely black due to an overproduction of the pigment melanin. In seals, this is very rare, making Ebbie a unique appearance. The last time the Sealcentre took in a melanistic seal was in 2017.

Ebbie was brought into the Sealcentre on 3 January, when she was estimated to be between seven and 10 days old. On arrival, she still had her white birth coat (lanugo), like all newborn grey seal pups. Much to the surprise of the caretakers, a pitch-black seal emerged under the white baby fur last week.

What is melanism?

Melanism is the opposite of albinism; where albinism lacks pigment, melanism actually has an excess of melanin, resulting in a completely black colour. Although melanism occurs in several animal species, it is very rare in seals.

For a seal in the Netherlands, black fur has no advantages or disadvantages. Seals are at the top of the food chain in the Wadden Sea and have no natural predators, so their colour does not affect their chances of survival.

Did you know...

Adopt Ebbie

For the vets too, the animal is no different from other puppies. ‘For us, it makes no difference. As far as we know, melanism does not affect the seal's health,’ explains Ana Rubio-Garcia, Head of the Veterinary, Care & Research Departments at Sealcentre Pieterburen. ‘It just makes her a particularly beautiful appearance.’

Ebbie was harassed

Ebbie was rescued from a beach in North Holland on 3 January because she was being harassed by beachgoers and dogs. Stranding coordinator Emmy Venema: ‘It was an unsafe place for her, but moving her would mean we might unintentionally take her away from her mother. That's why taking her in was the only option.’

At her intake, Ebbie appeared alert and active, although she did have some injuries and scars. The Sealcentre is carefully monitoring Ebbie's health and development and making sure she receives all the necessary care to regain full strength. As soon as Ebbie is strong enough and can catch her own food, she will be released into her natural habitat.

Watch Ebbie and other pups live 24/7

The Sealcentre has been temporarily closed to visitors since 6 January to get ready for the move to Lauwersoog. To watch Ebbie anyway, the centre has a livestream of Binnenbad where she and some other pups can be seen 24/7.

More and more seals are becoming entangled in litter. The Seal Response Team, set up by the three seal rescue centers in the Netherlands, received as many as 77 reports of entangled animals in 2024. This is more than double the 38 sightings in 2023.

It was actually because of the rising numbers of entangled animals that the Seal Response Team was established in 2022, an initiative of the three Dutch seal centers - Ecomare, Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen and A Seal. This team of specially trained animal carers and vets is committed to freeing entangled seals and increasing their chances of survival.

Numbers that set off alarm bells

The figures for 2024 show a worrying pattern: there were 77 reports of an entangled seal. One seal managed to free itself. For 30 animals, seal guards were able to intervene at the scene and immediately free the animals from their predicament.

31 animals were not found after the first report. The situation of these seals is unknown. Seven seals did not survive the entanglement. Four seals were in bad shape, but were given a second chance at one of the shelters.

Pup Balloon got tangled up in a wishing balloon

A poignant example of this is seal pup Balloon, who was found without a mother while she was sucking on the sharp cord of a wishing balloon. The seal guard was able to remove it from her throat on the spot, but she was taken to seal centre Pieterburen for check-ups.

She had not suffered any permanent damage and could be released healthy after several months of care.

Why this increase?

The biggest cause of entanglements are so-called ‘ghost nets’: pieces of fishing net that come loose and float in the sea. This happens when nets snag on an underwater object and tear. Although fishermen, beach cleaners and diving initiatives such as Duik de Noordzee Schoon play an important role in removing this waste, there is still a lot left behind. This waste poses an ongoing risk to seals and other animals.

Prevention is the first step

While freeing entangled seals is vital, the core of the solution lies in prevention. Prevention of marine litter, combined with initiatives to actively remove litter, is essential to reduce entanglement rates.

The 2024 increase stresses that we cannot wait any longer. The Seal Response Team is calling for more awareness and concerted efforts to make the seas cleaner and safer for seals and other animals.

The Seal Response Team in action

The Seal Response Team was set up to provide immediate assistance to entangled seals. As these animals are often less mobile, the chances of finding them near previous reports remain high. The team sails out to these locations several times a year to free the seals.

Dependent on donations

The Seal Response Team can only continue its valuable work with the help of donations and gifts. To continue rescuing seals in need in 2025, every contribution is of great significance. Both small and large donations help the team sail out and provide vulnerable animals with the care they desperately need. Together, we can make a difference for entangled seals.

Did you know...

Support the team

After 53 years, an era came to an end last Sunday: Sealcentre Pieterburen is closed to visitors. As of now, the centre is preparing for its upcoming move to the WEC (Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre) in Lauwersoog. To take the public through this special period, a 16-part YouTube series called ‘Behind The Seals’ will soon be released.

The seal center's relocation is getting closer and closer. On 5 January last, the centre closed its doors in Pieterburen. Preparations for the move to Lauwersoog are already under way. An important historical event, but also a huge logistical operation. At the WEC, the new seal hospital becomes part of a wider experience on the importance of the Wadden Sea as a World Heritage Site.

The ‘Behind The Seals’ series captures the relocation and move-in phase of the WEC on film. In 16 weeks - and thus 16 episodes - we work towards the grand opening of our new location on 25 April 2025.

Wonderful addition to the YouTube livestream

After popularity broke loose in Japan in August with the livestream of seals, the YouTube channel has grown tremendously, to more than 400,000 subscribers. The channel therefore lends itself well to launching the 16-part YouTube series on it. Together with Playback Images, which among other things made the two-part series ‘The Seal Mystery’ for FryslânDOK, the whole thing will be recorded.

‘We are extremely excited to join forces with the Sealcentre and WEC for a special YouTube series about the goings-on behind the scenes,’ says Bas Bakker, producer and managing partner of Playback Images.

Watch the teaser

16-part YouTube series

From 15 January, a new episode will be released online every Wednesday at 12:00 on the Sealcentre's YouTube channel. In total, the series has 16 episodes that include a behind-the-scenes look at the seal centre and the setting up of the WEC.  

'The series is a great way to capture the move. It gives us the opportunity to properly portray the expertise of our seal center during this period and stay in touch with everyone who supports our work,' says Marco Boshoven, manager of marketing at Sealcentre Pieterburen.

Joining the seal care staff, the reason why seal care is needed and the possibilities of the WEC for its visitors and the Sealcentre are portrayed. Producer Bas Bakker: ‘It is very special that we can look over the shoulders of the employees at such close quarters at this stage with a camera team. This weekly series will be subtitled in several languages and with this we hope to reach and serve a regular group of viewers around the world.'

From 15 January, follow the YouTube channel of Sealcentre Pieterburen to follow the move closely.