Cheeky seal pups Porridge and Waffles will tomorrow be swapping their five star accommodation at Tynemouth Aquarium for the inhospitable North Sea.
The duo have been nursed back to health by volunteers at the Tynemouth Seal Hospital based at the aquarium and are now ready to be returned to the wild.
The grey seal pups arrived at the hospital last November underweight and injured. But following three months of tender love and attention the female pups will on Saturday be released back into the water at St Mary’s Island in Whitley Bay.
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Tynemouth Seal Hospital manager Richard Ilderton admitted it will be an emotional moment watching the two swim off, but said: “Ultimately, we want them to do well. They are, after all, wild animals and we know that the best thing for them is to head off into the sunset and swim free.”
The pair have been dubbed “the terrible two from the back pen” thanks to their mischievous antics at feeding times.
But volunteers have been more than happy to put up with their capers as they’ve watched the pups regain their strength and confidence on a diet of vitamins and fresh herring.
Porridge and Waffles were barely a month old when they were admitted to Tynemouth Seal Hospital just days apart.
Porridge was the first to arrive on November 22 after being saved from a beach at Beadnell, Northumberland, weighing just 14kg – little more than two bowling balls.
At a month old grey seal pups – who are born between October and January and spend their first three weeks ashore being weaned on their mother’s fatty milk - should weigh around 35kg if they are to stand any chance of surviving the winter.
Porridge was suffering from deep cuts to her head, face and back that could have either been caused by a dog or possibly an adult male seal.
Waffles was admitted on November 26 after being found in the Redcar area underweight and with scratches and puncture wounds.
The two have since been joined by Haggis, a male seal pup, who arrived In January with a badly injured and infected back flipper after being found near Newbiggin and initially being looked after by Blyth Wildlife Rescue.
Haggis will now have the undivided attention of Tynemouth Seal Hospital’s dedicated band of volunteers, however, as Porridge and Waffles head back to the open ocean.
The twosome have formed a close bond – for seals.
Richard said: “Seals aren’t very sociable creatures. But Porridge and Waffles seem to get on. We had them together when they first arrived, and where seals will usually hiss and wave their flippers aggressively at each other, there wasn’t any of that with these two.”
It’s unlikely the pair will stick together when they are released. Tynemouth Seal Hospital has looked after 117 seals since it was set-up in 2017 and has a 65% survival rate.
Seals are tagged, and those released in the past have turned up everywhere from Scotland to a river in Yorkshire and even as far away as The Netherlands.
Richard said: “They follow the fish and go where they are happy.
“In the wild 50% of seal pups won’t make it through their first year, so it’s nice when we can successfully nurse them back to health and release them.”
Tynemouth Seal Hospital – which is supported by the aquarium – has five pens and the seals are kept away from visitors as much as possible to avoid them getting used to human contact.
Richard said: “Our aim is to get them back to the wild as quickly as we can and to make sure they remain wary of humans so they can be as safe as possible.”
