Fen Drayton: Seal Miles From Sea

2 January 2013, 14:41 | Updated: 2 January 2013, 15:41

A seal has been spotted at a Cambridgeshire nature reserve, around 50 miles away from the sea.

The animal was filmed at Fen Drayton Lakes near Swavesey after swimming through flooded fields.

It was also filmed climbing over a flood defence at the park, which is close to the town of St Ives.

Experts believe the seal may have ended up in the area after swimming from the sea and along the River Great Ouse.

The video below was captured by a 29-year-old man who wanted to be known as Robjn. 

He said he initially thought it was a dog in trouble but it became clear it was a seal when it came up for air.

Graham Elliott, of the RSPB, said the sighting was "surprising''. 

The seal has not been seen since the video was shot but he predicted an influx of visitors. 

The charity said it was "relaxed'' about the situation but would monitor the seal's well-being and take action if a problem arose.

A spokeswoman said: "We haven't actually seen the seal for ourselves yet but there's no reason to think there's any problem.'' 

It's perfectly happy in the lake with plenty of food to sustain it. 

It's not a threat to any other wildlife and hopefully it will find its way out the same way it came in.'' 

If the seal begins to face difficulties, the RSPB will consult the RSPCA on what action to take.