Pinnipeds in the UK

sealion

sealion

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone! :)

I've been trying to compile a list of pinnipeds in captivity in the UK. I've used ISIS, various aquarium websites and the Zoochat gallery to try create the list but I think that some of ISIS' data is quite out of date with some facilities so I was wondering whether anyone had anything else to add/mention for the list:

How the list stands at the moment: EDIT: SEE PAGE 2 FOR UPDATED LIST


Sea lions and Fur Seals:

South American Fur Seal
Bristol 4.2
Living Coasts 0.2

South African/Cape Fur Seal
Gweek 2.0
Banham
Rhyl Seaquarium

Patagonian/South American Sea lion
Colchester 0:5
Dudley 1.2
Edinburgh 1.2 (This must be wrong!)
Twycross 1.1
Gweek 2.0

Californian Sea lion
West Midlands Safari Park 2.0
Blackpool 1.1 (Hybrid 1.0)
Blair Drummond 1.4
Chessington 2.0
Coombe Martin 2.0
London Zoo 1.4
Longleat 2.6
Flamingoland 5.0
Welsh Mountain Zoo
Whipsnade 0.1
Woburn 0.4
Gweek 1.0
Knowsley
Pleasurewood Hills

True Seals:

Harbor Seal
Welsh Mountain Zoo 1.0
Gweek 1.2
Weymouth Sea life 3 (at least 1 male)
Hunstanton Sea life 0.3
Scarborough Sea life 2.0
Oban Sea life Centre 2?
Blue Reef Tynemouth
Rhyl Seaquarium 0.3
Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary
Skegness Natureland
Fife Deep Sea World
St Andrews Aquarium

Grey Seal
Colchester 0.1
Welsh Mountain Zoo 1.0
Gweek 5.6
Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary
Skegness Natureland
Hunstanton Sea life
Scarborough Sea life

Obviously the sanctuaries have fluctuating numbers of greys and commons etc, so I'm focusing on the permanent residents at these places. The listing for London must be from the temporary move from Whipsnade (very up to date!), but it appears to show one individual still at Whipsnade. Is this just an error?

EDIT: I wasn't sure whether this had been covered before (if is has I think it was a considerable time ago so it won't be up to date now- which is when I need the data).
Thanks :).
 
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Have you checked ZootierlisteHomepage ? That should have a complete list of species and the collections that hold them (though in most cases will not have numbers). :)
 
Maguari said:
Have you checked ZootierlisteHomepage ? That should have a complete list of species and the collections that hold them (though in most cases will not have numbers). :)
Click to expand...

I wasn't sure whether zootierliste was UK or just Germany, or whether it was only the german listings that were up to date. I'll have a look and update anything that's different.

Edit: Zootierliste is proving to be helpful, although I wanted to double check with zoochatters as sometimes you cannot rely on databases!
 
sealion said:
Patagonian/South American Sea lion
Edinburgh 1.2

Harbor Seal
Welsh Mountain Zoo 1.0

Grey Seal
Welsh Mountain Zoo 1.0
Click to expand...

These are all incorrect.

Edinburgh still has a single sealion - the male - but this individual will leave in the next fortnight or so.

Welsh Mountain Zoo has no fixed seal population, as it runs a facility for rescued animals. Currently there are no grey or harbour seals at the zoo.

As regards the Californian Sealions at WNZ, they currently have 2.1 I believe.
 
I think Rhyl SeaQuarium has 1.2 Cape fur seals, though not 100% sure on that one, I'm going from memory of what I saw in the show.
 
Whipsnade definitely has more than one sealion, though I haven't seen them in ages so not sure how many there are exactly. I think London has none from what I've read, so maybe those figures should be in Whipsnade? Not sure why it showed 1 still in Whipsnade if reflecting the temporary move...?
 
Californians:
Knowsley 4.0
Pleasurewood Hills 3.0
Cleethorpes 2.1
Chessington 2.2
Flamingoland 4.0* (as far as I know*)
 
The Blackpool number is also incorrect and I am unaware of a hybrid animal there (though I can give no further info). They have at least 2 females.
 
Also note at the moment is that Skegness Marineland,currently has a Hooded Seal (0.1)that they hope to release back into the wild,but I have my doubts seeing as she has now been rescues twice well off course.
 
Colchester haven't had a Grey Seals for quite a while now.

Also, I'd be surprised if Blair Drummond hold 5 Sea Lions in their fairly modest enclosure.
 
I can confirm 4.0 is the current holding at Flamingo Land (Clive, Marvin, Merlin and Miguel).

P.S. Am I the only person who still uses the name "Common Seal" (and the same goes for "Porpoise")? After all I am not American.
 
There is 1.0 Patagonian at Edinburgh due to to leave some point in the future.

Blackpool has at least eight, I saw eight yesterday. Whipsnade have 1.4, the male was born at Whipsnade two females arrived from Chester in 2010. I believe one female originally at Whipsnade was the mother of the male.
 
Parrotsandrew said:
P.S. Am I the only person who still uses the name "Common Seal" (and the same goes for "Porpoise")? After all I am not American.
Click to expand...

I'm flexible on the porpoise, but never use "Harbour Seal". Common all the way.
 
Shorts said:
Colchester haven't had a Grey Seals for quite a while now.

Also, I'd be surprised if Blair Drummond hold 5 Sea Lions in their fairly modest enclosure.
Click to expand...

They do, the male is blind and so is kept apart from the females most/all of the time. He has a separate off-show area. (I did some work experience there over the summer.)

And thanks for all the info guys!! You're awesome! I'll update the list and repost it a bit later.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
These are all incorrect.

Edinburgh still has a single sealion - the male - but this individual will leave in the next fortnight or so.

Welsh Mountain Zoo has no fixed seal population, as it runs a facility for rescued animals. Currently there are no grey or harbour seals at the zoo.

As regards the Californian Sealions at WNZ, they currently have 2.1 I believe.
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks for clarifying that one. I did think the figures looked strange! Did not know they did rescue stuff!
 
Parrotsandrew said:
I can confirm 4.0 is the current holding at Flamingo Land (Clive, Marvin, Merlin and Miguel).

P.S. Am I the only person who still uses the name "Common Seal" (and the same goes for "Porpoise")? After all I am not American.
Click to expand...

I couldn't decide which to use so I ended up with Harbor. Surely in proper english is should be spelt Harbour anyway? Ashamed that I didn't notice!
 
Jordan-Jaguar97 said:
There is 1.0 Patagonian at Edinburgh due to to leave some point in the future.

Blackpool has at least eight, I saw eight yesterday. Whipsnade have 1.4, the male was born at Whipsnade two females arrived from Chester in 2010. I believe one female originally at Whipsnade was the mother of the male.
Click to expand...

Would that be Dom? :P
 
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