Rare Elephant Seal Sighting In Gordon’s Bay Leads To Massive Multi-Agency Rescue Operation

It’s not every day that an elephant seal makes an appearance in a residential neighbourhood, but that’s what happened in Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape on Tuesday morning (May 27) when a sub-adult male was discovered lounging alongside Sir Lowry’s Pass Road, nearly one kilometre inland.

The call came in at 06h20 and by 07h00, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA had arrived to assess the situation. What followed was a nearly nine-hour rescue operation involving a well-coordinated effort across multiple agencies to ensure the sub-adult male’s safety and eventual return to a more suitable coastal environment.

Southern elephant seals are the world’s largest seal species and are usually found in sub-Antarctic regions. While sightings in South Africa are rare, occasional lone individuals, typically young males, do haul out along the coastline during moulting or rest phases.

While the seal appeared to be unharmed, his urban detour posed risks – both to himself and to motorists. With the assistance of the Law Enforcement, Traffic Services, SAPS, Gordon’s Bay Security and Gordon’s Bay Medical Ambulance Services, the area was secured and traffic redirected while the SPCA, City of Cape Town’s Coastal Management and Marine Unit, SANParks, Two Oceans Aquarium, Shark Spotters and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment stepped in.

The SPCA monitored the seal’s welfare throughout the incident, including during sedation by a wildlife veterinarian and the difficult process of loading the animal into the City’s large game capture trailer. 

By late afternoon, the seal had been given the all-clear by the veterinarian and safely transported to Koggel Bay, where his recovery from sedation was monitored before the Cape of Good Hope SPCA team left the site.

“It truly takes a village,” said Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who stepped up – for their professionalism, their compassion, and their quick response to an animal in distress.”

Take a look at the seal’s last stretch home below: