The seal was caught and the hazmat suit was safely removed. Image: YouTube/Screenshot
HAZMAT suits are made to protect humans from hazardous materials, but when a seal gets stuck in one, it doesn’t have the same effect. So when a group or rescuers spotted a young seal that had somehow managed to get itself jammed into one, they knew they had to do something about it.
The seal was on the beach in Walvis Bay, Namibia, which is a stone’s throw from the funneling wonder of the surf world that is Skeleton Bay. The wave breaks at Pelican Point, which is about five miles Northwest of Walvis Bay.
It’s a tiny port town known best (outside the surf world, of course) for its stunning sand dunes and its safe harbor. Seals love the area, and are common sights for surfers looking to surf what can be the longest barrel in the world.
There are many professionals in Walvis Bay who require HAZMAT suits for their work — medical staff, paramedics, researchers, personnel responding to toxic spills, specialists cleaning up contaminated facilities, and workers in toxic environments, according to Ocean Conservation Namibia — but one can’t ignore the irony of a person needing a suit to protect themselves disposing of the suit in a manner that would lead to it wrapped around a seal.
Thankfully, the rescuers were able to catch the poor animal and cut the suit off of it. It didn’t appear to be harmed and was very, very happy to be free of its unintended suit.
