We are proud to announce that we have recently become a sponsor of the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust!
In January, we were over the moon when we spotted a large number of Grey Seals in a local cove. We excitedly grabbed some footage and made a little film to show off the beauty of these amazing animals. However, the charity contacted us after we shared film footage of the seals along our coastline on Facebook, to let us know that the increased public interest and footfall could disturb the seals.
A volunteer from the trust visited us at The Bowgie and gave a presentation which gave us plenty of knowledge about Grey Seals and info around what we can do to help protect them. We were given advice on how to observe the seals without disturbing them, and leaflets/ fact sheets to share with others. We are now able to help our customers learn about these incredible animals too!
The Bowgie’s owner, Sally, had a close encounter last summer with a seal whilst sea-swimming which sparked our initial interest in seals in Cornwall. The charity are extremely inspirational – we are proud to be the first small business to sponsor them and through their invaluable work, we are learning how important it is to protect this endangered species of Grey Seal.
The Bowgie team support the community and our stunning natural environment as much as possible, and we couldn’t be happier to be working alongside the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust to raise awareness and support the protection of Grey Seals. We are also working with and support the Final Straw Cornwall campaign, which is dedicated to making the county single-use plastic straw free. Since the end of 2017, we have switched up our plastic straws for paper ones, in order to make a positive impact on our environment and wildlife.
Here’s our top 3 favourite Grey Seal facts:
- The scientific name for the grey seal is “Halichoerus grypus”, which means “hooked-nose sea pig”! Poor things!!
- Grey Seals can live up to 30 years in the wild.
- Mother seals easily identify their pups in the colony using specific calls and unique smell.
We hope you have enjoyed learning about the Grey Seals and be sure to pick up an information leaflet next time you visit The Bowgie!
