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This week-end Pirate Adventure Mini Golf at Scarborough Sea Life Centre will be offering treasure for bearers of the Black Spot Curse.

 All golfers will have the opportunity to take part in a unique black spot game during the last Whitsun holiday week-end.

 Black cards will be placed around the 12-hole golf course for players to seek out and rearrange in order to uncover the name of a famous pirate.

 At the end of the game, successful players will be handed a gold coin and since their curse will be officially undone they will not have to walk the plank!

 For greedier pirates who jump aboard wearing an item of black clothing and who acknowledge the staff with ‘Ahoy Shipmate, Give me me gold!’ a second piece of gold will be handed over - a must for any true buccaneer. 

 The black spot is a death threat created by Robert Louis Stevenson in Treasure Island. The black spot was usually a card with a black spot at the front and more detail about the pirate’s sentence at the back.

Concerned citizens calling Scarborough Sea Life Centre in their droves about injured and abandoned seal pups has led to a panic about the amount of towels the centre has left to cope with a possible influx.

Towels are used by the Animal Care Team at the centre for seal rescues as they help grip the mammal ready for transportation to the Seal Rescue Centre.

“We are in desperate need of some more towels to help with the demand for rescues and so we are appealing to local hotels, hairdressers and residents to donate any unwanted towels to the centre” said Senior Aquarist Todd German

Members of the Scarborough Hospitality Association and local hairdressers John Paul’s have both supported the Sea Life Centre by donating old towels.

The latest patient was admitted to the Seal Rescue Centre only last night.

“We picked up a rather large grey seal from Filey Brigg last night after a member of the public called with concern over its condition” said Todd.

Mini, as she has been named, weighs 22 kilos – approximately 12 kilos more than the weight of the average pup rescued by the centre. 

“Although Mini obviously isn’t suffering from severe weight loss, which is common with young pups, she is suffering from numerous cuts and an injury to her eye” said Todd.

Every season, seal pups are given names linked to a theme. Mini is the latest pup to be named after a classic car. The centre is currently rehabilitating 3 other seal pups called Bentley, Morris and Austin. 

Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

The holiday is over for Scarborough Sea Life Centre’s loggerhead turtle and tropical sharks as they return home after spending a few weeks taking in some different scenery.

Loggerhead turtle, Antiopi and her friends were temporarily moved to another tank in the centre while their normal home underwent some redevelopment work.

“We wanted to spruce up the main Ocean tank in the centre and this meant moving all of the creatures who live in there, out for a little while. We figured they wouldn’t mind the change of scenery” said Displays Curator Lyndsey Crawford

The animals will all be moved back into their regular home this Friday.

“As you can probably imagine it isn’t very easy moving sharks and a giant turtle but we have a great team here who will make the move as easy as possible for the animals” Lyndsey continued

During the re-development process, visitors have been able to get even closer to the action than ever before and anyone in the centre on Friday will get an exciting chance to see the move taking place.

“The move is really something to see. It’s not very often that we take Antiopi out of her tank, let alone take all the creatures out “said Lyndsey

Even though Antiopi and her friends have most likely had a great time, they will appreciate the comfort of their own tank as the centre prepares for the February Half Term holidays.

Via SCARBOROUGH SEA LIFE AND MARINE SANCTUARY

Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Two rescued seal pups have taken to practicing ecapology at their temporary home in Scarborough Sea Life Centre causing a real stir with the animal care team.

Istanbul, a common seal pup rescued last year, led the break-out bid!

All rescued seals spend time in a seal pup pool learning how to haul out of the water and feed for themselves before they are moved into the main seal pools.

Istanbul somehow forced his way under the fence into the main seal pools. Aquarist Amy McFarlane found him relaxing on the rocks watching the resident seals. 

“I couldn’t believe my eyes – I was panicking about where he might be and there he was, lying out on the rocks relaxing,” said Amy. 

Only a day after being returned to his own pool, Istanbul earned his nick-name of Houdini when he was found in the main seal pools yet again.

This time he also tried to thwart staff by wedging himself into an almost inaccessible crevice in the rock work. Thankfully he was foiled by his own greed and gave himself up without a fuss when tempted with some food.

“He was just eager to join the big boys and girls in the bigger pool,” Amy speculated. “We’ve now moved him there officially, and he’s as happy as can be.” 

The stunts didn’t stop there, however. In spite of hasty reinforcements to the pup pool boundary fence Bentley, a recently rescued grey seal pup, simply bulldozed into it and knocked it all down.

“We think Bentley memorised the feeding times and tried to sneak some extra fish by getting into the main pools for breakfast and then heading back to his pool for lunch” said Displays Curator Lyndsey Crawford

 Bentley will also be moved to the main seal pools soon, after which the animal care team aim to make the pup pool thoroughly escape-proof.

ISSUED BY SCARBOROUGH SEA LIFE AND MARINE SANCTUARY

Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough, North Yorkshire