Bearing distinctive and horrific wounds, the seals have now been found on beaches in Fife, as well as in Norfolk, in the past year.
This seal was washed up on Scotland's east coast earlier this month. The severe injuries appear to be caused by a bladed device. Scientists have ruled out military craft, fishing nets and boat propellers
The injuries are so severe that marine biologists say the seals look as if they had been put through a giant pencil sharpener.
Now a team of scientists has launched an urgent investigation into the seal deaths in an effort to find out what is causing them.
Unless the experts work out the cause of these 38 bizarre deaths, it is feared more seals will suffer the same fate.
Dr Dave Thompson, seal biologist at the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University, is leading the investigation.
Seals with similar injuries have also been found on beaches in Canada over the last decade.
