Along the southern shores of the Baltic Sea, more and more grey seal pups are washing up alone. Too young to fend for themselves, many are weak, malnourished, and struggling to survive without their mothers.

The problem is closely linked to changes in the seals’ natural environment. Grey seals in the northern Baltic traditionally give birth on extensive ice floes, where mothers can nurse and care for their pups in relative safety. But rising temperatures and increasingly severe storms are making this habitat less reliable. Ice breaks apart, leaving pups vulnerable, while others are born on land, where disturbances can cause mothers and their young to become separated.

Some pups are left drifting in the sea for days or even weeks before eventually reaching shore. By the time they are found, many need urgent care to have a chance of surviving.

On Poland’s Hel Peninsula, the Hel Marine Station has spent more than 30 years studying the Baltic Sea ecosystem, caring for stranded seal pups, and supporting the protection of marine life.

When vulnerable pups are brought to the centre, the team provides the care they need to recover and grow strong enough for life in the wild. The aim is not simply to save individual animals, but to contribute to the long-term recovery of the Baltic grey seal population by giving rescued pups the opportunity to return to their natural habitat.

Thanks to the Planet Wild community, we’ve been able to support the station’s work by helping expand its rescue facilities and improve the technology used to care for and monitor the seals.

Our contribution funded three new seal enclosures, giving the team additional space to care for vulnerable pups, as well as an upgraded monitoring system to help staff keep watch around the clock.

We also funded seven specialised tracking devices that allow researchers to follow the seals after they have been released. By collecting information about their movements and journeys through the Baltic Sea, the team can learn more about how the animals use their habitat and gain valuable insight into the health of the wider population.

This combination of rescue, rehabilitation, and research is essential. Helping a pup survive its first vulnerable weeks is an important achievement, but understanding what happens after it returns to the wild can also help guide future conservation efforts.

The Baltic Sea is a changing environment, and the animals that depend on it must navigate those changes every day. Through the dedication of the Hel Marine Station and the support of the Planet Wild community, more rescued pups have a chance to recover, return to the sea, and live wild lives.

Every seal returned to the water represents a second chance. And every journey tracked brings researchers a little closer to understanding how we can better protect these remarkable marine mammals for generations to come.