Sanctuary pay tribute to mischievous seal

The sanctuary said Babyface had a "heart of gold"

A seal sanctuary in Cornwall has paid tribute to its oldest male seal that died on Friday.

Cornwall Seal Sanctuary announced Babyface had "brought so much joy" to its staff and visitors.

The 44-year-old seal arrived at the sanctuary in 2010, and was famous for his love of every kind of fish and mischievous attitude.

The sanctuary said he was "one of the most gentle and calm seals" there.

Babyface celebrated his 44th birthday in June

It said: "He was always there when you needed someone to talk to and had a lot of enthusiasm for his daily training sessions.

"When he ate, he would stick his tongue out after he swallowed each fish which always brought laughter to the team and our volunteers."

Babyface leaves behind two sons, Bo and Buddy.

"He had a very long and happy life here at the Sanctuary, where he was loved so much," it said.

Quick seal facts

• Harbour or Common Seals can typically live between 25-30 years in the wild

• They like to eat squid, crustaceans, molluscs and a variety of fish such as herring, hake and salmon

• Their whiskers are so sensitive they can sense a fish from more than 35m away

• Harbour seals can dive to depths of 90m and hold their breaths for up to 28 minutes