Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall
Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall
National Seal Sanctuary
Gweek, near Helston,
Cornwall TR12 6UG
About Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall
Sealife Sanctuary is the name of three centres across the country that offer visitors a great day out as well as fulfilling their role for the rescue and rehabilitation of marine animals. As part of the Sea Life network of marine life aquariums, each Sealife Sanctuary provides a crucial lifeline for scores of abandoned, stray or injured seal pups every year. In addition, all three sanctuaries boast plenty of other attractions meaning that they are an ideal educational and fun family day out, not prone to the vagaries of the weather.
Each Sealife Sanctuary site provides a unique insight into the lives of myriad waterborne creatures, from shrimps to sharks, with expert staff on hand to provide visitors with information, the opportunity to handle shellfish and other maritime animals in touch pools, and to learn about their habitats. Each Sealife Sanctuary ticket buys into a world of frontline conservation, with the National Seal Sanctuary based at Gweek, Cornwall, while the Scottish Sealife Sanctuary is at Oban – famous equally for its fine single malt whiskies, and now its fine single seals - and the Hunstanton Sealife Sanctuary, in Norfolk.
Each houses a range of sea life and offers rescued animals the chance of rehabilitation and release back into the wild. Each Sealife Sanctuary has an aquarium with fish and other creatures, many from adjacent coastal waters, as well as further afield. Among the roster are shrimps, starfish, herring, stingrays, crabs and octopuses, while breeding facilities are on hand for seahorses and otters.
For all those with an interest in wild animal welfare, as well as a fun family day out, a trip to one a Sealife Sanctuary is just the ticket. An all-year round, any-weather family attraction with eco-friendly credentials. Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall is located in the picturesque Helford Estuary, near the beautiful village of Gweek, and it’s considered to be not only one of the country’s leading maritime conservation facilities but a great family day out. A ticket to the Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall gives visitors an insight into how the National Seal Sanctuary rescues pups – with over 40 in-housed in the last season alone – and how it carries out the work that it’s done since winter 1958. Then, a baby seal washed up on the beach at St. Agnes and was looked after by Ken Jones, who ran a rescue centre there in his garden for seals and oiled birds, with just a single pool. Requiring more space to continue his rescue, rehabilitation and return activities, he moved to Gweek in 1975, and the Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall approaches its 50th anniversary as both a national conservation institution, and a leading family attraction in Cornwall.
At Gweek, Ken installed a number of pools and the Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall boasts Nursery, Convalescence and Resident pools, as well as a specially designed Hospital, which was extended to include isolation pools, plus treatment and preparation areas. Many seals have been released into the wild after treatment, but others would not survive so become residents and can be seen by visitors. Among the types of seals on view during a family day out at the centre are grey, common, cape fur and hooded seals, and sea lions. More exotic types include Californian and Patagonian Sea Lions, while the Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall additionally provides a much-needed haven for a variety of other animals, including otters, ponies and goats, all of which can be adopted by visitors. Weekly bulletins about their progress are posted on the centre’s website and, on occasion, the Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall’s facilities and expertise are called on to aid in the rescue of other marine creatures like dolphins and turtles. The variety and varying nature of animals at Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall means that there’s never a dull moment, and interns are welcomed, as well as school parties. The centre provides both an educational and fun family day out.
Also included in a ticket to the Sealife Sanctuary Cornwall is access to parkland, a gift shop and education facilities, while special occasions like birthdays can be celebrated with quizzes and goody bags furnished to participants. It’s certainly an unusual venue for any out of the ordinary celebration, and your guests are sure to give it their seal of approval! A great family attraction whatever the occasion.