News24 | Four stranded seals saved in unusual rescue from Cape Town dry dock

A Cape fur seal rescued from Sturrock Dry Dock is released back into Cape Town’s harbour.

Supplied/Two Oceans Aquarium

• Four Cape fur seals became trapped inside Cape Town’s Sturrock Dry Dock after the gates closed for vessel maintenance, leaving them stranded behind 14-metre-high walls.
• Over three weeks, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s marine wildlife team used nets, patience, and even recordings of seal calls to coax the animals out one by one.
• All four seals were safely returned to the harbour — the last two climbing the dock stairs and swimming home on their own.
  

Four Cape fur seals trapped in a Cape Town dry dock over several weeks were safely returned to the ocean – two by net, one by staircase, and one by simply swimming home – in a rescue that tested patience as much as skill.

In early August, Transnet Dock Master Johan Coetzee spotted seals splashing about in the flooded Sturrock Dry Dock, gorging themselves on a large shoal of mullet.

He alerted the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Marine Wildlife Management Programme (MWMP) team. Dry docks are hazardous for marine life. When a vessel enters for maintenance, the main gates close and water is pumped out, leaving the dock drained.

Any animals still inside are stranded behind 14-metre-high walls that make escape nearly impossible.

The dock had already closed its gates for draining, so the team had to wait. But with the dock full of mullet, the seals had a dependable food source.

@2oceansaquarium

Three seals. One rescue mission. 🦭 Our Marine Wildlife team received a call that three Cape fur seals had become trapped inside the Robinson Dry Dock. The team immediately gathered their specialised rescue gear and made their way into the dry dock. After assessing the situation, they carefully planned the safest way to assist the animals. To minimise stress for both the seals and the team, the decision was made to rescue one seal at a time. Working quickly and carefully, the team secured the first seal in a specialised net, carrying them up the stairs, and safely releasing the seal near our seal platform. 💙 With the first release a success, there were still two more seals waiting to be rescued… Stay tuned for the rest of this incredible rescue story! #TwoOceansAquarium #AquariumFoundation #Drydock #MWMT

♬ original sound - Two Oceans Aquarium - Two Oceans Aquarium

As maintenance began, all four seals slipped into a tunnel along the side of the dock, likely seeking shelter from the noise.

On 17 August, the MWMP’s Martine Viljoen, Abdullah Abrahams, and Ayanda Cimani entered the pitch-black tunnel headed toward the dock. About 200 metres in, they found all four seals gathered together.

The cramped space, slippery floors, and near-complete darkness made a rescue attempt too risky. The best option was to wait for the seals to make their own way out.

The team played recordings of Cape fur seal calls to coax them out. They responded vigorously, but stayed put.

They then asked Transnet to release water into the tunnel, hoping the seals would follow the current. They did not budge.

“Working with wildlife means accepting that nature sets the pace,” said Viljoen.

Viljoen added:

Our role is to observe, adapt, and respond, drawing on the combined knowledge of everyone involved.

On 19 August, one seal exited the tunnel. Ayanda placed it in a net underneath the vessel, and the dry dock team carried it up several flights of stairs to the harbour. It leapt into the water, relieved to be home.

On 22 August, a second seal made its way out. Martine and Abdullah secured it in the net, and the team carried it out to the harbour.

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The final two were the largest, meaning rescue would carry more risk.

Since the dock was scheduled to be refilled in a few days, the team decided to let them swim out under observation.

But one had other ideas. On 2 September, the dock staff noticed it resting on the lower stairs. Later, it simply climbed all four flights and released itself back into the harbour.

Viljoen said:

Watching one of the larger animals make its own way up the dry dock stairs and out of the dock was a fantastic moment, and another reminder never to underestimate the adaptability and resourcefulness of our marine wildlife.

The next day, the dock began to refill. The fourth seal was monitored as it swam amid the rising waters. Once the levels reached about 10 metres, they climbed the last few stairs out. Guided by Martine, it returned to the harbour. All four were free.

“The most valuable outcome is not only that all four seals were safely released, but that the incident has given us a much clearer understanding of how seals move through the dry dock system,” said Viljoen.

“We can now use those lessons to explore practical preventative measures and hopefully reduce the likelihood of similar situations in future.”

The rescue was a collaborative effort, supported throughout by Coetzee and his Transnet team at Sturrock Dry Dock, as well as Southey Contracting Marine Division.