On one of my outings to the coast, I came across a sign letting people know a mama seal and her pup (baby seal) were present on the beach. The sign instructed people not to attempt to interact with the seals. Although I wanted to respect the safety and needs of these animals, I was also extremely curious about the seals here. This led me to take a trip to the Courtown Seal Rescue Centre (Irish spelling of 'center'). A friend of a friend works there, and she took me around the center.
She explained that the center provides conservation programs to the public as well as rescues, rehabilitates and releases seals back to the coasts of Ireland. It is the only seal rescue facility in the country, so they are always busy!
We learned the basic features of the two species (types) of seals native to Ireland and what conservation practices we can do to keep the seals from coming to harm. (One way is by listening to the advice on posted signs like the one I saw and NOT interacting or disturbing the seals!) She also gave us a tour of the center and told us how the center goes about its daily work.
You can read more about the center and the seals at https://www.sealrescueireland.org/.
