Dead seal which was on Walton beach for one month disappears

The seal was discovered on Walton beach just one bay up from the Fisherman's Café, more than a month ago, according to residents. 

Neil Marples, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said the seal was first washed ashore on October 21 near the pier before the tide washed it up the coast a day later.

Its corpse began to rot at the start of November and it started to cause distress to dog walkers and children trying to enjoy the beach. 

It is Tendring District Council's duty to remove marine life corpses from the beach. 

The council said it was first made aware of the seal's presence on October 28. 

Engineers were sent out to look for the animal soon after it was reported but the corpse was nowhere to be found. 

Carcass - the seal's corpse in Walton (Image: Neil Marples) A Tendring Council spokesman said: “Because of the location of the dead seal and its size, clearing the animal was not a simple matter in this case.

“Our engineers discovered the mammal had disappeared last week (Friday, November 15) while exploring options for using an excavator to remove it.

“Following a week of very high tides and shifting sands, our officers have been checking along Walton’s Eastcliff to see if there are any signs of the dead animal, but it is likely that it was washed out to sea – a natural process and something that is part and parcel of living by the coast.

“It is not always a simple matter to remove a dead animal from the beach and our officers, working with our contractors, have to consider how to get adequate machinery on site, the health and safety risk to staff, and how to dispose of it.”

If you find a dead seal on the beach on a Tendring District beach call the council on 01255 686868 during hours or 01255 222022 after hours.