Deputy Mayor of City of Cape Town – Eddie Andrews visited the Sealand Gear in Hout Bay on Dec 11, 2024 to receive a donation of 10 seal stretchers. These seal stretchers will assist various teams from the city.
Reportedly, the City of Cape Town will also handle large dead seal carcases along the coastline of Cape Town. It will also be used for rescuing dolphins and other sea creatures such as pygmy sperm whales.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Spatial Planning and Environment – Alderman Eddie Andrews said that this is for the first time that they will be issuing seal stretchers to various teams to assist with carcass removal from the beaches.
Andrews expressed that they are very grateful for the donation of these very strong seal stretchers from Sealand. He added that seals are frequent in the entire coastline and are moving continuously through the area with the main two colonies at the Duiker Island and Seal Island.
A few thousand seals wash up dead each year, especially after the pupping season. In particular, during this time, the city has to remove many carcasses.
Moreover, the donation of these stretchers will help staff in removing these carcasses in a much safer and more efficient manner.
Additionally, the provided stretchers will be utilised also to rescue other stranded marine mammals such as dolphins, whales, sharks etc., said Alderman Eddie Andrews.
Notably, the seal population in Cape Town comprises of the seals at Duiker Island that varies between 7000 to 8000 at any given time and approximately 20,000 at Sea Island along with many other small colonies and seals moving through the area.
Sealand in Hout Bay is nestled somewhere in the folds of the iconic Table Mountain, which is a short drive from where the waves curl onto the shores of Hout Bay Beach. Sealand campus is a great place for wave riders and adventure seekers, where they come together in a collective effort to affect positive change within the lifestyle.