Seal in Cornwall 'horrifically entangled' in fishing hooks

The seal Black Widow was found entangled in mackerel line

A seal found "horrifically entangled" in a feathered mackerel hook fishing line in Cornwall is recovering after being rescued for a second time.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) Cornwall Seal Hospital said it was found on Bamaluz beach, St Ives.

The seal, now called Black Widow, had been previously rescued and tagged in Devon in 2020 in a separate incident.

Rescuers said the female was "making slow and steady progress" after being very underweight and dehydrated.

Mackerel lines have multiple hooks

The seal hospital said on Facebook Black Widow was found on 18 November "sadly horrifically entangled in fishing line and mackerel hooks, many of which had become embedded in different parts of her body including her flippers, underside, and mouth".

Mackerel lines often have about 10 hooks.

Dan Jarvis, from the BDMLR, told BBC Radio Cornwall: "Our volunteers were able to get down with a cage and gently herd her instead of having to get too hands-on, so we could get her up to the hospital."

Staff removed the hooks, with two falling out, and gave her antibiotics, pain relief and fluids.

Black Widow was found to be "a couple of years old"

She was also found to be tagged, meaning she has been rescued before.

The hospital said the tag revealed she was estimated to be "a couple of years old".

It said: "We found she was actually rescued originally by BDMLR medics from Croyde, in Devon, late in 2020, rehabilitated by the RSPCA, and released in January 2021."

The hospital said she was "now making slow and steady progress, getting a little brighter each day" and was due to be taken to an RSPCA facility again for rehabilitation.