Warning to visitors as juvenile seals wash up on Hove Beach Brighton News

He was seen by a passerby, who said she became concerned after spotting a “little wound” on his fin.

She said: ‘People were alerted to put their dogs on leashes and keep clear and people on the seafront were putting up hazard tape to help with that.

The seal on Hove beach yesterday afternoon

“We saw that he had a small wound on his fin.”

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was called, but the creature swam away before rescuers could examine its wound.

It is understood the seal may have been ‘exhausted’ from the recent stormy weather and had come ashore to rest.

The BDMLR advises people not to approach a seal if they see one resting on the beach and not to allow children or dogs near it.

A spokesperson said: “If you find a seal on a beach, observe it from afar.

“Seals regularly land on our shores – it’s part of their normal behavior and in fact they spend more time out of the water, digesting their food and resting than in the water.”