A Journalist Volunteering at Seal Rescue Ireland

Writing a first blog post is hard. But I will try to get my foot in the door and cross the line of "What to write?" kind of start. So, let's get the ball rolling!

Being a Journalist is fun. Moving to Ireland trying to become a CELTA certified English teacher, dreaming that one day it will give the opportunity to travel across the globe is more fun. But do you know what beats the first two above? Understanding that travelling to me personally needs to be filled with a unique and useful purpose. So, if I want to realise my childhood's dream of becoming a Wildlife Photographer/Storyteller, teaching English wouldn't give as bright green light as Wildlife volunteering or Second degree in Wildlife Conservation would. After feeling adamant on the new decision I started looking for volunteering opportunities in Ireland. To my surprise, surfing on the web hadn't taken me long to make my eyes light up, as I came across a Rescue Centre called Seal Rescue Ireland. I found a suitable program on their website ( The Advanced SRI Experience in my case. I will write down below the reason, why I choose this program), emailed them and voila here I am! My first ever Wildlife experience and I am so pumped to be a part of the team for the next 2 months.

Why Seals And Why Seal Rescue Ireland?

First of all, come on, it's Seals! One doesn't simply resist their cutennes.

They belong to the same suborder, Caniformia, as dogs. And it leads us to the conclusion, that seals are basically, dogs of the sea !

Secondly, I am from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is situated on the shore of the Caspian sea. The unique thing we must know about The Caspian Sea (apart from being a great oil production area) that it is home for the endemic species called Caspian Seals - the only mammals residing in this sea. As sad as it may sound, this beautiful species is classified as Endangered.

Hence, my vague plan for future is to gain practice in Seal Rescuing, take a part in the opening of a similar centre in Azerbaijan and apply my knowledge there, mostly focusing on educational mission. Long way to go, but it is worth saving wildlife, especially these one of a kind smallest seals in the world.

Thirdly, Let's talk about the organisation itself. It was originally established in June 2010 as "Dingle Wildlife Sanctuary" located in Co Kerry. Unfortunately, a severe storm destroyed the facility in March 2014. Consequently, the organisation went through a rebrand coming back on the stage as " Seal Rescue Ireland" and moved to the current site Courtown, Co Wexford. (Where they're still continuing their conservation mission around the clock). Over 350 EU protected, indigenous grey and common (harbour) seals were released since 2014.

Now the Rescue Centre includes 3 out of view intensive care units, twelve kennels with baths, four large nursery pools, public viewing area, a food preparation kitchen and the visitor centre with a gift shop, bathrooms and an education area.

They have variety of options to get involved in a daily routine of a seal conservationist. They are Volunteering, Internship, Day Volunteering and Behind the Scene Experience (Which comprises Rescuer for a day, SRI Experience and The Advanced SRI Experience). If you are interested in joining any of these options, you can check the programs' details on their website : and land on the most suitable selection for you.

Today I'll focus more on the program that I'm doing right now, The Advanced SRI Experience, which is tailored for the ones, who want to devote themselves in the hectic full time rhythm, but for any reasons are unable to commit to 12 weeks of internship. Finding it was a meant to be thing, as I was facing a time shortage issue, but was eager to dive into the full time experience. So this program gives in depth engagement with seal rehabilitation and also a great deal of information regarding seals' lifestyle and issues they encounter.

Shortly, during the first week of arrival volunteers undergo the orientation training encompassing the educational side in order to be able to give tours for visitors and get hands on experience with the seals in the centre, participating in preparation of their daily diet, feeding, observing, keeping behavioral and medical records etc.

In a nutshell, Seal Rescue Ireland offers to make unforgettable memories and broaden the knowledge on wildlife conservation. During the upcoming posts I will be sharing my thoughts on the volunteering with SRI. So stay tuned to learn more about the seals!