A seal on rocks at Brixham (File photo)
© Torbay RNLIA seal on rocks at Brixham (File photo)
A shocking incident involving a seal bite has led The Seal Project charity to issue a 'strong' warning for sea swimmers to avoid Fishcombe Cove in Torbay. Signs have been posted around Fishcombe Cove in Brixham following the rare attack, which saw a swimmer treated in the hospital after being bitten by what The Seal Project described as a 'powerful male seal.'

According to Sarah Greenslade of The Seal Project, the swimmer, who remains unidentified, suffered a bite to the leg and 'some scratches' but they are now fine. The charity is urging swimmers to stay out of the water for their own safety, Devon Live reports.

Ms Greenslade told the BBC: "We just wanted to make sure no one else gets injured in the same way. The seal could have been territorial or just having a bad day, we really don't know."

She added: "We have not done this lightly, it is just so that people are informed. It might be a complete one-off, but we would be doing the wrong thing if we did not make people aware."

Despite this, Steve Hussey of the Devon Wildlife Trust has called incidents with seals very rare. He said to the BBC: "Seals are inquisitive animals, they will investigate if there are swimmers around, but as with every other wild animal it is good to keep your distance and exercise caution.

"These are large animals and you are in their domain, but given the number of wild swimmers this is a very isolated incident."

Conservationist Chris Thomas, who swims in the area daily, stated in an interview with the BBC that it is incredibly rare for seals to be aggressive and that this was likely an inquisitive seal that was drawn towards visitors in the water.

He said: "For the majority of their time they keep their distance, they are not looking for a fight." The warning comes as a reminder for all swimmers to exercise caution and keep their distance from seals and other wild animals.