Kay Elliott, an award-winning studio of architects and designers, has helped the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, part of the SEA LIFE TRUST, to achieve planning permission for a refurbishment project in this sensitive Cornish Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Established in 1957, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary moved to Gweek in 1975. After finding a baby seal at St Agnes, Ken Jones founded a tiny seal and oiled bird rescue centre. As his work spread, it became clear that greater space was needed. At Gweek, the refuge and pools were gradually expanded to care for more injured seals rescued off the Cornish shore. Grey and common seals, sheep, goats, puffins, and beavers live at the sanctuary on the Helford Estuary’s tidal edge.
The initial facilities have become a nursery, convalescence, and resident pool complex and a hospital with isolation pools and treatment sections. Most seals cured by the committed crew are reintroduced into the wild. However, some who would not survive in the wild remain as sanctuary guests and ambassadors.
After being evaluated at the seal hospital, rescued seals are relocated to the outdoor nursery and convalescence pools. Seals are displayed in the refuge’s pools, and audio and visual displays show rescue efforts. Around sixty seal pups are rescued from Cornish beaches and the treacherous coastline each year.
A new master plan
SEA LIFE TRUST now has a vision to increase its capacity, based on developing the much-loved attraction, to provide new and much improved facilities for its resident animals. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary has been developing a master plan to address its short-, medium- and long-term goals in Gweek, in line with its continued wildlife commitment.
Jana Sirova, head of sanctuaries at SEA LIFE TRUST, says: “With more than 60 years already under our belts, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary is embedded into the hearts of our local residents and guests alike. From grandparents who remember visiting as children to the youngsters now coming through our doors for the first time, our work continues to inspire generations to care for and support our wild marine species.
“This project is one of our biggest to date. It is all about safeguarding our future and putting the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at the heart of world-class animal welfare for years to come. This redevelopment will allow us to remain world leaders in seal conservation and care.”
Priorities include tackling structural issues within the existing pool infrastructure, bringing in advancements in animal husbandry and life support system technology, and adding new quarantine facilities, The sanctuary also aims to improve the tourism offer and the overall guest experience.
The new design takes into account the guidelines for the Management of Marine Mammals Under Human Care (July 2018), and the sanctuary aims to exceed these minimum husbandry standards where possible. In addition, the existing life support system will benefit from wholesale improvement, offering protein skimming for very efficient and clean water filtration.
A new quarantine building, positioned locally to the new pools, will offer improved facilities for resident animals that may need additional care with direct access to the convalescence areas. In addition, by pairing both the new quarantine building and pools, visitors will be able to more clearly experience the care that goes into looking after their resident animals with additional medical needs.
Improving the guest experience
Finally, the topography of the site, which slopes steeply as it meets the Helford River, can be used to great benefit for the visitor experience. This change in level allows visitors to experience two distinctly different characteristics of the seals’ behaviour by providing more dedicated underwater viewing opportunities, with improved water visibility and dedicated on and off-show areas at the upper level, significantly improving the public view and the guest experience.
In 2021, the sanctuary was nominated for Cornwall’s best Large Visitor Attraction of the Year. The experience economy plays a significant part in revenue generation for the charity, and the opportunity to widen its audience is key to its future, allowing the charity to dedicate more resources to rescuing injured seals, share more messaging of its conservation work to visitors and more marketing to potential new visitors.
Tamara Cooper, animal care curator, says:
“These pools are the original pools that Ken Jones built when he moved the Sanctuary from St Agnes to Gweek back in 1975. While our team is still able to deliver world-leading care to the animals we support on site, the new pools will transform life for our staff. From a state-of-the-art filtration system to improved access, the new pools will be centred around exceeding all recommended standards in marine mammal care to date.
“We are all so excited to finally be able to bring this vision to life.”
Helping SEA LIFE TRUST to achieve its mission
The SEA LIFE TRUST is a partner charity of Merlin Entertainments. Its Mission Statement is to rescue and provide expert care for sick, injured, or distressed seals and other marine animals in need of help found around our shores. Once they are back to full health, they are released back into their natural environment. The trust also provides a permanent home and ongoing care for seals and other animals who cannot be released back into the wild.
The organisation is dedicated to educating and inspiring generations to protect the seas and marine life, now and for the future.
See also: Inside the world’s first open water beluga whale sanctuary with the SEA LIFE TRUST
Sirova adds: “This redevelopment will be a significant milestone in our commitment to protecting our marine life for generations to come, from facilitating engaging talks from our knowledgeable team to being able to host interactive workshops with schools and universities. We hope that our state-of-the-art facility will act as a hub for research, education and marine conservation, inspiring the next generation of ocean allies.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from the skilled team at Kay Elliott architects. After working with them for over twenty years they are an integral part of our continuous development here at the Sanctuary. The team’s creativity, collective wisdom and collaborative approach shine through, and we truly value their expertise, insight and vision.”
Jan Tribble, the associate at Kay Elliott who led the planning application, says: “The energy and passion of the Sea Life Team has been incredible. Working with Jana and her team, we have been able to maximise the animal husbandry and the staff’s ability to care for the animals and create a significant increase in visitor experience. The key design focus has been to ensure a clear narrative around the lineage of the site, its coastal location and the process of rehabilitating seals for release,
“We hope the visitors will enjoy the new attraction as much as the seals will.”
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