Seals may leave Rhyl SeaQuarium due to coastal defence works

The attraction is considering re-homing its seals, saying that the drilling noise and vibrations, carried out by Balfour Beatty on behalf of Denbighshire County Council (DCC), are threatening their safety.

DCC said it has proposed suitable locations to temporarily re-home the seals (which it will pay for), and that it will compensate SeaQuarium if it can evidence any consequential losses.

SeaQuarium, established in Rhyl for beyond 30 years, welcomes in excess of 80,000 visitors each year and employs more than 20 people.

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Directors at the centre previously raised concerns surrounding the Central Rhyl Coastal Defences Scheme, which received planning approval in June 2022.

The attraction’s owners believe the work will have a harmful impact on hearing, and induce a chronic stress response from seals with behavioural and physical welfare issues.

They also fear that other animals housed in the aquarium will be impacted negatively by the vibrations of the work.

SeaQuarium also believes it may close altogether without adequate support, and is assessing the possibility of re-homing its seals to avoid further distress and disruption for the animals.

SeaQuarium, Rhyl. Inset: Seals at SeaQuarium (Image: GoogleMaps)

The attraction believes DCC implemented a “Plan B” only when the animals were in distress, despite prior warning about the coastal defence work.

Though, SeaQuarium argues “Plan B” arrived late, two years after conversations opened, forcing the attraction to face the prospect of re-homing the seals in a facility away from North Wales.

SeaQuarium director and co-owner, Colette Macdonald, said: "Following our public plea for help, we've had lots of local support showing concerns for the future of the animals and the attraction.

“DCC issued a statement to say if the drilling works are impacting the animals, then they would revert to ‘Plan B’.

“Despite consistently warning of this exact scenario for over two years with officials at the council, ‘Plan B’ was only brought to light last week, as previously, they refused to discuss the option.

"We are potentially sourcing a suitable alternative facility for the seals to be re-homed out of North Wales, an outcome which could have been avoided had our concerns not fallen on deaf ears.

“We always said the coastal defence scheme would cause significant distress to the animals if not managed correctly.

"SeaQuarium is calling upon DCC to work proactively with us on the re-homing of the animals while safeguarding jobs to sustain the future of a popular and iconic visitor attraction in Rhyl.”

In response to SeaQuarium’s comments, DCC said it is working on the advice of an independent animal welfare expert, appointed by both sides, in relation to the delivery of these works and the impact on the seals.

The council had hoped the project could be delivered without the seals needing to be moved as the animal welfare expert advised that the animals could acclimatise to a gradual increase in the noise and vibration levels as the project developed.

When the expert decided that the animal behaviour had changed, the council followed this advice and instructed that works in the immediate vicinity stop.

A DCC spokesperson said: “Over the past few months, the animal welfare expert, appointed by the council and SeaQuarium, has been reviewing locations for a suitable temporary home for the seals if there was a requirement for them to be rehomed. 

“The council wrote to the owners of the SeaQuarium on July 21, with an offer for DCC to pay for transporting and housing the seals in an alternative temporary home.

“The council is still awaiting a response from SeaQuarium to that letter.

“To be very clear, these captive seals belong to SeaQuarium. The seals and the business are not owned by the council.

“It should, therefore, have been the responsibility of SeaQuarium to arrange for the seals to be moved if they felt at any stage that they needed to be rehoused.

“These seals have been brought into an already noisy environment in Rhyl, being next door to Rhyl Events Arena and situated between a busy road and the sea.

“SeaQuarium is a very noisy environment in its own right, and significant noise is already created by their activities, such as the daily performing seal shows.

“The owners of SeaQuarium have never disputed the need to deliver this essential sea defence project.

“If the seals need to be moved, then it needs to happen quickly so that the work can continue. SeaQuarium, therefore, needs to be talking to DCC about the offer on the table.”

In 2013, flooding in Rhyl led to 400 people being evacuated from their homes.

The council said that the ongoing works are “essential” to protect 548 residential and 44 non-residential properties predicted to be at risk from further flooding.

A DCC spokesperson added: “This flood defence project is essential to protect homes, seafront and town centre businesses, and the tourist economy from future flooding events.

“If this work is not completed, around 600 homes and businesses will continue to be at risk from coastal flooding in central Rhyl.

“A coastal flood event would have a devastating impact for the people of Rhyl and on the economy of the town.

“The council has already sourced an alternative facility, and SeaQuarium could have done this at any time.

“They, therefore, don’t need to source ‘a suitable alternative facility for the seals to be re-homed out of North Wales’, because the council has already done this.

“The council now needs SeaQuarium to say whether they agree to the offer that has been made.

“The council has already proposed for the seals to be re-homed and has made it very clear to SeaQuarium that there is a mechanism for compensating them if they can evidence any consequential losses as a result of the project, including the impact of the seals being moved.”