BUND urges distance after seal disturbance at Timmendorfer Strand

A video recorded at Timmendorfer Strand shows beach visitors surrounding, photographing and touching a young seal. The BUND Landesverband Schleswig‑Holstein e.V. condemned the behaviour, reminding that seals are wild animals that need undisturbed resting areas. The organization warned that close contact can cause severe stress to the animals, potentially forcing them back into the water, and may also pose health risks to people through bites or disease transmission.

Jesreel Dietrich, project leader of BUND’s “Robbe in Sicht!” campaign, called for the creation of clearly marked, spacious exclusion zones on heavily visited beaches and for longer‑term, low‑disturbance coastal sections along the Schleswig‑Holstein Baltic coast. Suggested sites include the nature reserves Markelsdorfer Huk, Nördliche Seeniederung Fehmarn, Geltinger Birk and the northern tip of the Halbinsel Holnis.