By Hayley Douglas.

It always amuses me how excited folk get when they see a seal. There’s nothing wrong with it but when you have grown up on the West Coast of Scotland our seals are as familiar to us as foxes are to those in the cities. I remember spotting my first ones on a day trip to Arran when I was small. Big furry bananas on some off-shore rocks just down from Brodick Castle. Then watching them “porpoise” around the bay on a Uni field trip to the Isle of Cumbrae. After Uni, I volunteered and then worked for a west coast wildlife hospital and got to get even closer to these dog-like ocean goers. Injured and lost Grey and Common pups were familiar patients in the latter half of the year. They required fluids, medicines and food and I often was the one who dealt with the sharp end until they could be encouraged to eat for themselves. The Greys were my favourite as they were more docile than the Commons and were more prone to singing to let you know when they wanted fed. I will always remember Silkie, whose voice vibrated around the inside of the metal seal hospital in the mornings which would wake me up in my caravan next door. She was a fantastic patient and we were all so excited the day she got released at Portencross where she swam strongly, sang and then disappeared from sight.

Despite being familiar to me, seals have weaved themselves in and out of my life. From rescues off of motorways after stormy weather to swimming in the sea off Ailsa Craig after a hard day’s bird ringing in the Shag colony and having a Grey nose to nose, ending with me getting covered in seal boogies! For a number of years, as the careers changed, seals were creatures spotted on days out and trips away to the west coast islands. Sometimes I would even spot the one that lived near Glasgow Green right in the centre of Glasgow whilst out on trips around the city. Fast forward 13 years and I’m now the Ranger on the island of Tiree. My bedroom window looks out on to Ruaig bay where I often watch the Commons play and on a sunny day I have a coffee at the front door and can hear the Greys singing around the corner towards Milton.

Coming to Tiree has created a sense of self in me again after a number of hectic and stressful years where self-care fell at the wayside as work and relationships took over. Surrounded by the sea it mesmerises you and it wasn’t long before I was talked into sea swimming and got myself a wetsuit. Paddling and snorkelling became a fascination as the cold water filled the wetsuit which helped me float along. During this watery meet ups, I discovered that some of the other swimmers were wary of the seals that watched us from a distance. If any were spotted they tended to turn around and headed away from them back to the shallows. Seals, or selkies as they are often known, have a mystery around them that carries in the tales found in coastal communities. Stories of seals, of those rescuing sailors or tales of them coming ashore shedding their skins and shape-shifting into women abound. Their haunting voices have also worked themselves into many of the Gaelic songs and it is said the Queen Mum used to sing to the seals when on her holidays at the Castle of Mey with Prince Charles carrying on this tradition. I spoke to my swimming buddies and told them my tale of the Grey off Ailsa Craig and spoke about singing to the seals. I reshared posts of divers interacting with seals, photos of seals on SUP boards and advice that the seals were only curious and were in their element so had nothing to fear of us so we shouldn’t fear them. Gradually I watched the nervousness turn into curiosity and knew they had definitely turned a corner when I heard one had started singing in Gaelic to them when out swimming and paddle boarding.

Rescuing seals has re-entered my life. It has been a busy time over the last few weeks as the Grey pupping season has started and coincided with Storm Aidan. Ten call outs in 3 weeks has resulted in half of the pups being deemed as needing treatment with three travelling on the ferry to the mainland and into rehab. It is fitting that the theme this year is musical instruments with two being named Banjo and Cello by their carers.

Using our seal carrier to get Banjo off the beach.

Things have now slowed down and yesterday was the coldest day so far this winter and a perfect day for going for a swim. I missed the call from my swim buddy to head out due to work and when I got home I looked longingly out the window. I have never swum on my own but the pull was great so I suited up and headed out with a message sent to friends that I was going out and where. The cold enveloped me but wasn’t as numbing as the air temperature. I was only in a few minutes when I heard a splash behind me. I turned around and a good way back was a selkie air hopping to get a better look at this slow creature in the water. I took a pic of the small dark head with the phone around my neck and turned around to find another just a metre or so in front of me. I don’t know who got the biggest fright as it splashed away but not before I could look into its dark eyes and register this creature of the water. I decided to sing but the only song that came into my cold-numbed head was Happy Birthday and I’m not blessed with a tuneful voice! The next 20 minutes were spent going back and forth being watched by my audience before the cold forced me out the water. The seals followed at a distance before returning to their hauling out rocks and after warming up I watched them from the bedroom window sleeping, their familiar banana shapes silhouetted on the rocks against the fading winter light.

Hayley’s favourite charity:

Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Hospital is Scotland’s busiest wildlife rescue situated in North Ayrshire. From pigeons to peregrines, road traffic victims to litter entanglement the folks at the centre work 24/7 to care for Scotland’s wildlife. I first started volunteering there back in 2005 and have a lot to thank the centre for. This year, as it has been for many, has meant that fundraising has been hard hit with the cancellation of the summer open day and the autumn 10km. Hedgehogs have flown from Tiree into the hospitals care and hopefully it won’t be long until I’m back for a visit myself at next year’s open day.