Seal found at Avalon Beach suffered huge wound from shark attack

A SEAL has a horrific injury after it was attacked by a “very large shark” on Sydney’s northern beaches. Now authorities are attempting to locate the wounded marine animal.

A seal suffers from a gruesome injury. Picture: Blaze Roberts Photography

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THE search is on to relocate a seal, first spotted at North Avalon, after it was bitten by what was believed to be a “very large shark”, so its condition can be monitored.

Shona Lorigan, a volunteer for the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), was made aware of the injured long-nosed fur seal last Thursday.

Upon inspecting the adult seal, Ms Lorigan said the marine animal had a shark bite that was “bigger than a dinner plate.”

“It certainly had a very large bite wound,” she said.

The seal was found at the northern end of Avalon Beach.

“I got a short amount of time for a quick evaluation (of the seal) and it had an extensive wound ... around the flipper area.”

Ms Lorgian said the seal had hauled out onto shore before it then retreated back to the ocean shortly after she arrived.

She said she returned to the spot multiple times on Friday, hoping the seal would haul out again but it didn’t.

Shona Lorigan from ORRCA.

But a call also came through to ORRCA on Friday after somebody spotted a seal at Clovelly that matched the description of the injured one at North Avalon. The seal retreated before authorities could inspect it.

Despite the gruesome injury to the seal, Ms Lorigan said it was determined by relevant authorities — including ORRCA, Taronga Wildlife Hospital and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service — to not salvage the animal from North Avalon, given it was otherwise in good condition.

“We were quite encouraged, the seal was in excellent body condition and could get in and out of the rocks,” she said. “Seals are really hardy and can survive really quite large wounds.”

A small leopard seal on the sand at Avalon Beach last year. This seal was also attacked by a shark. Picture: Jarrod Castaing Fine Art Photography

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