Is there a porpoise or seal needing help? Read here what you can do to help.

Seal on the beach

Not every seal lying on the beach needs to be rescued! Sometimes they are just resting. Therefore, you should never chase a seal into the water.

1. Keep your distance from the seal and make sure that others do the same.
2. Keep dogs away.
3. With pups: look around the area for at least 15 minutes to see whether or not the mother is watching her young from a distance.
4. Is the animal weakened or wounded: On Texel, call Ecomare (0031 (0)222-317741) and report the location of the animal as precisely as possible. Outside of Texel, call the Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen (0031 (0)595-526526) or ASeal (0031 (0)88-2747795).

Porpoise on the beach

A live porpoise on the beach always needs help! Pushing the animal back into the water won’t help it. The staff of Stichting SOS Dolfijn is specialized in caring for porpoises and dolphins. They can determine the best way to help the animal. Here is a list of instructions when in the situation of finding a live porpoise on the shore:

1. Don’t push it back into the sea.
2. A porpoise breaths through the blowhole on its head. Make sure no water or sand gets in.
3. Porpoises easily scare. Walk quietly in the area. Create quietude. Keep all people and dogs at a distance.
4. A porpoise on the beach can rapidly overheat. Cool the animal with water and wet cloths and provide shade. Make sure no water gets into the blowhole!
5. Call SOS Dolfijn and take care of the animal until the dolphin ambulance arrives. The emergency number is 0031 (0)6-65098576. On Texel you can also call Ecomare (0031 (0)222-317741).

Birds with problems

Should you find a bird on Texel in need of care, then Ecomare can help you out. Elsewhere in the country, you should get in touch with the closest bird sanctuary. Small birds you can pick up yourself and bring to Ecomare. Don’t try picking up birds of prey or birds with a long sharp beak, such as a heron or a gannet! These birds can injure you badly with their beak or claws. When you find such a bird on Texel needing help, call Ecomare (0031 222-317741).

Young birds need our help less often than we think. Sometimes they are sitting on the ground because they’re still learning to fly. In that case, place the bird higher up, in a nearby tree or bush. The parents are often in the area and are watching the chick. Ducklings and young geese also sometimes seem to have lost their parents, while they are actually waiting further away till the coast is clear. It is therefore important when dealing with young birds to first evaluate the situation well: take the time to see whether help is really necessary.