A DEAD seal has been found washed up on the Kinmel Bay shoreline.

The seal was first spotted on Friday by Karen O' Neill, of Stockport, who has a caravan at the Golden Sands Holiday Park where the seal was still visible on Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for RSPCA Cymru said: "RSPCA Cymru is sad to hear that a dead seal has been found at Golden Sands in Kinmel Bay.

The RSPCA doesn’t appear to have received any reports in this instance but will occasionally receive calls when marine mammals, like seals, have been stranded. While it is normal for seals to haul out on land, the RSPCA also rescue many seals that are found in

distress and sadly injured.

"If anyone sees an adult seal which looks sick or injured, or is stranded a long way from water, please keep a safe distance and contact the RSPCA’s advice and cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

"Please keep other animals, such as pet dogs, away from the animal, and never return the seal to the water yourself. Please keep your distance as they can have a nasty bite."

Tom Stringell, senior marine mammal ecologist for Natural Resources Wales, said: “Seals are one of the largest and most charismatic marine mammals we have in Wales – and we work hard to conserve them.

“As well as being an important part of the marine ecosystem, they are also popular with people who enjoy watching them from the coast.

“Every year, many are reported stranded around the Welsh coastline and, although we work with the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) to help investigate other marine mammal strandings, seals are not routinely recovered by CSIP in Wales.

“If anyone finds any stranded cetacean (dolphin, whale, porpoise) or marine turtle, please report it to CSIP on 0800 652033.”

For more information about what to do if you see a seal or pup on the beach alone, and you are concerned about its welfare, please visit the website: www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/orphanedanimals/sealpups.