Originally published 2020-11-12.
Shauna is a wild seal who has met Isle of Man fisherman Nicholas Lewis at Peel Bay almost every morning since 2010, when she first appeared as a pup looking for fish. A decade later, when their story spread online in 2020, she had lost most of her sight, yet she still found his boat, waited at the harbour steps and accepted a few mackerel a day. Here is what is known about the pair, why seals behave like this, and what it means for anyone who meets a friendly seal on the coast.
How a fisherman and a seal pup met
Nicholas Lewis was 41 at the time the story was reported, a father of four who fishes for crab and lobster from Peel, a harbour town on the west coast of the Isle of Man. The island sits in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, so it is neither part of England nor, strictly, part of the United Kingdom, a detail some early reports got wrong.
In 2010 a young seal began surfacing near the crew and their catch. They fed her, she kept coming back, and before long she had a name. Lewis has three boats; Shauna would greet him at the steps in the morning and in the afternoons follow one of the boats around the bay. Lewis told Good News Network he considers her part of the family, and he has compared her to one of his own children.
In his own words
Lewis has said that the routine became so fixed that he could hardly remember a morning without her. Recalling the early days, he described how odd it felt at first to find a seal waiting by the steps "like you had an appointment." Over the years that surprise turned into real affection, and he speaks of still being fascinated whenever she appears by the boat.
Shauna's failing eyesight
In late 2019 Shauna's left eye turned white, and within about six months both eyes had clouded over completely. Lewis believes she is now almost entirely blind. Yet she has continued to find his boat, which suggests she relies heavily on other senses.
That fits what is known about seals in general. Their sensitive whiskers, called vibrissae, can detect tiny water movements, and studies on captive seals have shown they can follow the hydrodynamic trail left by a swimming fish. Seals also hear well underwater and are likely to recognise the sound of a familiar engine. Researchers have documented wild seals that were blind in one or both eyes but still in good body condition, so a blind seal is not necessarily a seal in trouble.
Because her poor sight makes her more prone to bumps and injuries, Lewis has said he now takes extra care around her. It is not known what caused her eye problems; the reports did not include a veterinary diagnosis.
Why seals form bonds with fishing boats
The reports do not say which species Shauna is. Both grey seals and harbour (common) seals live around the Isle of Man, and grey seals are by far the more familiar sight in Manx harbours. Grey seals are large, curious animals: adult females in the eastern Atlantic are typically around 1.6 to 1.95 metres long and weigh 100 to 190 kg, and they eat mainly bottom-dwelling fish such as sand eels, cod, flatfish and herring, needing roughly 5 kg of food a day.
Harbours offer seals an easy opportunity. Fishing boats bring in fish, crews discard scraps, and a clever animal quickly learns where and when food appears. Seals that are fed regularly by people can become very confident around them, which is exactly what happened with Shauna. The two or three mackerel she receives each day are only part of what an adult seal needs, which is consistent with Lewis's observation that she still hunts for herself.
Seals are often described as intelligent and sociable, and videos of them playing with divers and dogs are hugely popular. It is fair to say they can learn individual people and routines; whether their attachment resembles human friendship is something scientists are more cautious about.
If you meet a friendly seal
Shauna's story is heartwarming, but wildlife groups across Britain and Ireland generally advise the public not to copy it. A seal that associates people with food can lose its wariness, approach swimmers, boats and anglers, and end up injured or causing injuries. Adults can weigh as much as several people, and even a playful bite can be serious.
- Keep your distance and let the seal decide whether to come closer. If it changes its behaviour or looks alert and tense, you are too close.
- Do not feed or touch seals. Long-standing arrangements like Shauna's grew up over years with experienced fishermen; casual visitors should leave food out of it.
- Keep dogs on a lead near seals. Disturbance can cause seals to stampede into the water.
- Leave pups alone. A pup on its own on a beach is often waiting for its mother. If one looks ill or injured, contact a local seal rescue or wildlife organisation rather than handling it.
Why the story resonates
Part of the appeal is simple loyalty: a wild animal choosing, morning after morning, to visit the same person for ten years. Part of it is the care going the other way, as a working fisherman adjusts his routine for an ageing, nearly blind companion. It is a reminder that working coastlines are shared spaces, and that a little attention to the animals living alongside us can go a long way.
Sources: Good News Network (October 2020): A fisherman has a decade-long friendship with a blind seal (photos and interview originally via SWNS); Wikipedia: Grey seal.
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