A lost seal pup recovering at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo has officially been named.

‘Northlands’, was discovered on Clearwater Beach last month, when he was about five weeks old, and was taken to BAMZ to be cared for.

In preparation for the seal’s eventual departure, Ruby Dill, the St David’s resident who found the pup on her morning walk, visited BAMZ with her family and some close friends.

Like the majority of the BAMZ staff, they cannot get too close as the seal is still in quarantine, and BAMZ is limiting human contact to maintain as much as possible the seal’s “wildness” which will be vital in helping the seal survive in the wild when he is released.

Mrs Dill said: “It was special finding him. I would like to name the seal Northlands after my granddaughter Nadia Dill’s school, which is a great school, and also thank BAMZ for taking such great care of our baby seal.”

Since his arrival at BAMZ, the pup has put on 16.5lb and is eating 6lb of herring daily and now weighs 43lb. He has no clinical signs of disease, and his blood work has improved dramatically and is now in normal ranges for most parameters.

Staff and volunteers at the aquarium care for the animal and monitor him closely.

A government spokesman said: “While the pup lounges poolside, a small management team at the BAMZ works diligently with a host of partners to ensure his return to the United States.”

He added: “The seal cannot be released in Bermuda waters because there is no appropriate food for him here.

“Also, the Gulf Stream would create a significant barrier to his return to the grey seal colonies in the United States.”

The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut has agreed to take Northlands, to aid him through his next phase of recovery and eventually release him back into the ocean.

Representatives from the US and Bermuda met last week to ensure that Northland’s journey to the facility is as smooth as possible.

Principle curator at BAMZ, Ian Walker, thanked CargoJet and its partner Cedar Aviation which will fly the seal to the US.

He added: “We are grateful to the United States Consulate General in Bermuda, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Customs and Border Protection, as well as the relevant Government of Bermuda departments that have helped and waived fees where possible to expedite this seal’s eventual return.

“We are extremely grateful to Mystic Aquarium for agreeing once again to take our wayward seal into their animal rescue programme to complete his rehabilitation into the wild.”