Get to know the local wildlife at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is a registered charity started by Ken Jones. He was inspired to do so after finding a baby seal washed up on a shore near his home in St Agnes in 1958. He rescued the animal and then started rescuing more. By 1975, there were too many to care for in the single pool he had designated for them so he decided to open up the sanctuary at Gweek. That sanctuary today has five pools and of course, a hospital. The sanctuary rehabilitates over 70 local seal pups each year, welcoming them into the sanctuary and caring for them in their specialised hospital and helping them prepare for their return to the wild. Once their injuries are healed and the pups have reached a healthy weight, the seals are released safely back into their natural habitats. The sanctuary also cares for a set of adorable Humboldt penguins at their penguin beach, and sea lions at their Southern Sea Lion Pool.

Of course, guests are invited to visit the sanctuary and learn more about local wildlife. You can book regular visits that allow you to explore the sanctuary and get to know the adorable residents. 

On top of that, the sanctuary also organises various experiences guests can take part in to enhance their visit. For morning people, why not go have breakfast with the seals and enjoy the sanctuary an hour before it opens to the public, accompanied by staff members. You can also immerse yourself in the experience of being a seal keeper for a day and get a first-hand look at the carer’s jobs in the sanctuary. If you’re interested in wildlife photography, the sanctuary also offers some excellent guided photography tours where you can learn new tips about wildlife and marine photography. Find out more about all the experiences offered by the sanctuary on their designated webpage. 

• Booking tickets ahead of time on the Cornish Seal Sanctuary’s website is strongly recommended. Same-day entry costs £17,99 for adults, £16,99 for concessions (students and seniors) and £14,99 for children. 
• The sanctuary is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
• Dogs are welcome at the sanctuary, as long as they are well behaved and kept on leads. Find out more about bringing your dog along for the visit here.
• Visit the sanctuary’s designated webpage to find out more about accessibility measures in place.

By car: 

• Head to Helstone, then follow the signposts for Lizard and then St Keverne, all the way to Gweek village, when you get to the Black Swan Pub, follow the signs to the Seal Sanctuary. 

By bus: 

• Local buses route 35 and 35A run from Helston and Falmouth to Gweek Village. 

• Be mindful of the local wildlife you will be encountering while at the sanctuary. The animals that are there are recovering from injuries and can be more sensitive so please follow all the precautions staff will tell you about on site. 
• Don’t forget your camera to capture all the adorable animals you’ll be seeing. 
• Consider donating if you can. The sanctuary operates through donations and that’s what allows it to continue to do all the incredible work it does, so if you’re able to, please consider donating.