Cheers and some tears as Sandy slides to safety

SANDY the seal sniffed the air excitedly but it was to take a bit longer than expected before she got her first taste of freedom because the tide was out.

Now weighing 50 kg Sandy is a far cry from the skinny starving little pup that was found on Sandymount beach four months ago.

Children, some of them a little sad to see Sandy go, from Scoile Mhuire in Sandymount, who named the seal, joined hundreds of people who came to watch volunteers from the Irish Seal Sanctuary release her back to the wild. And the taste of freedom, when it finally came, was sweeter still for the young grey seal. After dipping and diving among the waves Sandy was off exploring.

Sanctuary volunteer, Kevin O’Hare, said Sandy looked very well before she swam off. “Well, she certainly is a good weight. I should know after helping to carry her to the water’s edge.”

Using her strong flippers to power her out to sea Sandy eventually became a little black dot on the surface before disappearing altogether.

On Sunday on Rush strand in Co Dublin, Hobbs, a young grey seal, rescued three months ago by local boys, Daryl and Kurt Nugent and Ronan Cullen, gets his taste of freedom.

Hobbs was also taken to the Irish Seal Sanctuary in Garristown, Co Dublin, where he was nursed back to health. He is now ready to go home.

Since it was first established 16 years ago the sanctuary has successfully returned 250 seals to the sea.

More people than ever are alerting the sanctuary about sick and starving seals found along the coastline. Last year, the sanctuary, a registered charity with no State support, helped rehabilitate 45 sick and starving seals.

The sanctuary deals with more than 1,000 telephone calls every year from people reporting injured or distressed seals, or marine related incidents.

While it deals mainly with seals it has also rescued dolphins, porpoises, otters, deer, numerous birds and even a Siberian tiger.