Yesterday we drove to the north part of our main island to show our visitor the sights.

On our way back, we dropped in to Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary as I had been told earlier they had two seals rehabilitating there.

This is Smudge.  He is a grey seal, estimated to be about 11 months old who was found at West Voe beach (located on the Southern tip of Shetland, right by Sumburgh Airport). 

He was fully moulted but struggling out in wild.

He has a deformity in his rear flippers and so is only really swimming with his front flippers.

He has a number of issues with feeding and struggles to eat his first fish at each serving. 

It is like every day is new and he has to remember the process of eating and how it actually works. 

He is very placid in nature but the Sanctuary don’t feel he would survive in wild.

Smudge will be a long term resident.

And then there is Leo who is a common seal pup.

He came on 20th June from Westray, Orkney. 

He was thought to be only 2-3 days old when found and travelled over to Shetland on Northlink ferry (we are all wondering if he had a cabin or a pod). 

Leo has progressed well and will probably be releasing in another couple of weeks.

They both had very different characters. Leo was more like Pepper – irritating, playful, wanted to annoy for fun and Smudge was more like the child who is picked on in the school playground who didn’t know why.  So sweet, though and I can see why he’s staying.

(It was the most relaxing wonderful afternoon watching the two seals swim happily in their lovely outdoor pool – huge thanks to Hillswick Wildlife `Sanctuary for showing us round and putting up with my idiotic questions!)