Professor Krzysztof Skóra UG Marine Station admitted its first patient of the year over the weekend: an Orlica, an approximately two-year-old female grey seal, Halichoerus grypus. The seal, which was found on a beach near Orłowo, suffers from skin lesions, anaemia and pneumonia. It is receiving veterinary assistance and professional care.

The seal was named Orlica (meaning ‘eagle’ in Polish) because all the names given to the patients of the seal rehabilitation centre of the Marine Station refer to the place where they were found. She is an unusual patient, as the Station usually takes care of pups, and the keepers estimate that Orlica is 1-2 years old (the exact age is difficult to determine). According to the seal keepers mgr inż. Wioleta Miętkiewicz, Joanna Ostrowska, and vet. Dominika Jonakowska, the female's condition is quite serious - otherwise she would not have been sent to the centre for rehabilitation. She has skin problems, pneumonia and anaemia. She requires treatment and rehabilitation under the supervision of a qualified team, including daily medication. She is provided with veterinary care.

- It is difficult for us to estimate how much time he will spend with us for rehabilitation, it is a very individual matter, depending on many factors, primarily on the health and condition of the animal, stress (which unfortunately always accompanies a wild animal during rehabilitation) and other things that may happen during his stay - say the carers. However, our main priority is to ensure the patient's recovery and return to the wild as quickly as possible, so Orlica will spend as little time as possible at the centre.

Visitors to the seal sanctuary of the Marine Station are not allowed to enter the seal rehabilitation centre, primarily for the sake of the patients staying there. The team that takes direct care of the animals tries to minimise the stress associated with their stay in rehabilitation. The patients need peace and quiet to recover as quickly as possible and be able to return to the wild. These are wild seals that call the Baltic Sea their home - they do not need contact with humans. Staff and volunteers also keep their presence to a minimum, feeding, cleaning and performing necessary medical procedures; the animals rest the rest of the time.

Another important issue to keep in mind is the risk of transmitting infectious diseases from humans to animals and vice versa.

‘With seal pups, things are a little different than with an older seal like Orlica,’ explain the seal trainers, talking about their most common patients. "When the pups arrive, they are about 1-3 months old and are still learning about life and the dangers that await them in the wild. Many of these little ones are separated from their mothers too early, before they are ready to live independently, including learning how to find food and avoid danger. These little ones often arrive at our centre emaciated, dehydrated and exhausted, and our role in many cases is to help them regain their full health and teach them how to feed themselves. Of course, there are also puppies with wounds, infections, e.g. in the lungs, or with rubbish tangled around their bodies. We try to help all of them and release them into the wild. However, the rehabilitation of older seals, even those as old as one year, is much more difficult. These animals can already survive on their own in the wild, they know humans and the dangers associated with them, so they are definitely more stressed by being locked up in a centre. They are also larger, more aggressive, and their health is often much more complicated.

What should you remember if you come across a seal on the beach? Here are the most important rules of conduct:

• Keep a safe distance from the seal - at least 30 metres (the further, the better).
• inform the Hel Marine Station (tel. 601 88 99 40) or the WWF Blue Patrol (tel. 795 536 009) about the animal's presence; it is worth attaching a photo of the seal from a distance;
• Keep dogs on a leash and do not let them approach the seal – a seal if disturbed, it may defend itself or escape into the water, which can worsen its health; let's also remember that there are many pathogens that both we and our pets can catch from wild animals; pets can also be a source of disease for a weakened wild animal;
• Remember that a seal is a semi-aquatic animal, so its presence on the beach is not a cause for concern. Seals come to shore to rest, mate and moult, and they return to the water on their own after regaining their strength. Therefore, do not pour water on the seal, push it into the water or try to help it in any way. Please leave the assessment of the seal's condition and assistance to the specialists from the Marine Station and BP WWF.
• You should also inform passers-by about the presence of the seal and the need to keep their distance, as well as about the other rules mentioned above.

We encourage you to visit the seal sanctuary of the Hel Marine Station, where five adult grey seals live permanently. You can watch the feeding of the herd with a medical training and a lecture, learn various interesting facts about seals, as well as find out about other activities carried out by the Station for the protection of the Baltic Sea. The Helsinki herd acts as ambassadors for wild Baltic seals and teaches sensitivity and love for wildlife. We also invite you to visit the seal centre shop and the Blue Village, with the Porpoise House and the fin whale skeleton on display.

We encourage you to support the activities of the seal rehabilitation centre, e.g. by donating to the fundraiser at ratujemyzwierzaki.pl/fokarium .

You can also follow the fate of Orlica on the Facebook page of the Station: https://www.facebook.com/stacjamorska.ug.