sex starved seals in dublin bay prey on bathers

A spate of attacks by seals on swimmers in the popular Forty Foot swimming spot in south County Dublin has led to calls for the seal population in the area to be culled.

The incidents have become so serious that people are now predicting that there could be a fatal attack

Dozens of cases of people being nipped, clawed or, even more frighteningly, dragged under the water by seals have been reported this summer.

There were three separate incidents on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Victims are advised that wounds should immediately be cleaned with antiseptic due to the possibility of a painful infection from bacteria carried by the animals.

Breda Kenny received cuts to her foot when she was attacked by a seal on Thursday morning. She said: "He came and took my foot in his mouth. I could feel his teeth. I lay still but he still came at me. He clawed my back and leg. He kept trying to grab my feet. He was a big bull and I could feel his whiskers on my toes. He went right underneath me and scratched my back. He kept coming back and I thought: 'Holy God, what part of me is he going to grab this time.'"

On Wednesday, another seal grabbed a male swimmer's arm in its mouth and dragged him under the water.

Tommy Ryan, a regular for many decades at the swimming hole, said yesterday: "The seals are definitely becoming a danger. There definitely will be a fatality. It is frightening when they come up beside you. I was bitten on my leg at the charity swim. There was blood on it."

Mark Leslie, another regular swimmer and naturalist, said it is likely that the "beta" males, young males who have yet to attract a harem, are aggressive at this time of year.

"The alpha male has his harem down at Dalkey Island and there was a beta male around here who was acting up but he managed to get a few females -- and so he's happy now."

Mr Leslie said that it was unusual for seals to attack swimmers and said that the best thing to do was to stop and face them directly. "They don't like being faced directly and will leave." He said people should be aware that seals were like stray dogs. "If your reflex is panicky, it can frighten them. The best thing is to not panic, turn to face them and relax. They don't like being faced."

He said the intimidating seals were most likely the "lonely bull males".

The seal population has increased dramatically in Dublin Bay since the Government made seals a protected species. Several people last week said it was now time for seals to be culled.

The Irish Seal Sanctuary pointed out yesterday that there was no known incidence of a grey seal causing a fatality or even a serious injury but said that anyone who was bitten or scraped should immediately disinfect the wound and see a doctor about a course of antibiotics.

Lynn Moore, from the Seal Sanctuary in Garristown, Co Meath, which saves and nurtures abandoned or injured seal pups, warned that the seals carry bacteria which can cause a painful condition known as "seal finger". This causes severe swelling of the joints in the fingers which can spread and needs treatment by antibiotics.

Ms Moore said they had received a call last week by someone who had been bitten while swimming off the Forty Foot. "They are naturally curious animals. The problem is that people are feeding them, particularly at the Ice House in Dun Laoghaire Harbour and Bullock Harbour and it gives the seals the idea that it is okay to come up to people. We are working on putting up signs to not feed the seals."

Monica Smyth, who has run a boat hire business from Bullock Harbour for most of her life, said: "There is going to be a fatality. People are feeding them and they should not do that. They are interfering with the boats, grabbing fish off lines and frightening families by coming up to the sides of boats.

"Something has to be done with the seals. Some of these seals were rescued by the seal sanctuary and were hand-fed as pups. That may have had something to do with it."

- JIM CUSACK

A few sharks would sort them out they wouldn't be so hardy then

leave them alone so we can fish in the forty foot again, the swimmers will get to frightened to get in,

on a serious note leave the seals alone its their home that humans are invading i hope i dont hear on any culling

Looks like the lunatics have left the asylum for the day

Some editing done.
PM's sent
Let's leave the talk of culling to others.

aye the sharks can sort the swimmers out

well since culling seems to be a no no,why not catch the ones causing the problems, and relocate them to a more isolated spot where they are not a threat to people.Surely most would agree that people are at risk even if they are "only swimmers"and they should be protected,not a few rogue seals!

once again we have to wait for someone to be killed yes its the seals habitat but there is way to many of them and like all
cretures they multiply they then become vermin but wait until someone is dragged out to sea

like all creatures they multiply they then become vermin

the swimmers or the seals

both sometimes its hard to make out which is the seal and which is the swimmer at the 40ft

So thats why you've been swimming so much Wayne!

So thats why you've been swimming so much Wayne!

well with 4 kids i need 2 get it some were

I've seen some of those swimmers, not a million miles off a seal- or manatee

There's no pleasing some people.

They get fishing banned and you complain. I send in the seals for revenge and yer still complaining.

Don't know why I bother.