A young seal spotted in the East End of the island has been rescued and taken to the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo’s quarantine facility.

A note on the Zoo’s Facebook page said: “We thank the public for their assistance and will keep people updated on his condition and hopefully recovery.”

A BAMZ spokesperson said: “The staff of the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo were able to rescue the juvenile seal from Clearwater Beach. The seal has been identified as a male grey seal and is estimated to be under a year old.

“The team at BAMZ have take the seal to their facility, where he is now resting in BAMZ’s quarantine facility and considered in critical but stable condition.

“Following a full physical examination including a complete panel of blood tests, he was treated with fluids to help with dehydration.

“We thank the public for their assistance and will keep people updated on his condition and hopefully recovery.”

The seal was seen on Clearwater Beach in St David’s at daybreak on Saturday.

Ruby Dill was walking on the beach at first light when she noticed the seal in the distance.

When she approached it, it began barking and hissing, before slipping into the water.

Ms Dill said: “It went at me like a bulldog.”

Ms Dill contacted the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo to alert them of her discovery.

Speaking before the seal was rescued, Ian Walker, the principal curator of BAMZ, urged members of the public to immediately contact the organisation if they locate it.

But he warned that the seal should not be approached as it could become aggressive.

Dr Walker said: “This animal is going to be exhausted, dehydrated and in a great deal of distress.

“It’s very rare for these animals to turn up in Bermuda. Their natural habitat is the eastern seaboard, but further north.

“They can get caught up in Gulf Stream eddies and deposited here.”

Dr Walker said that there had been only five recorded instances of seals in Bermuda’s waters in the last 20 years.