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08th Aug 2023

Volunteers wanted to move to island near Isle of Man and count the seals

Charlie Herbert

Sounds pretty ideal

An island off the cost of the Isle of Man is looking for volunteers to move there and count its seals.

The Manx Wildlife Trust has put out a job advert for two “enthusiastic volunteers” who are up for moving to the virtually unpopulated Calf of Man for just over two months.

The volunteers will count the island’s seal population for its annual survey.

The Calf of Man is a tiny remote island just south of the Isle of Man. Around 40 percent of the island is uninhabited, and it is home to just three people on a seasonal basis.

It all sounds like the perfect gig for anyone looking to escape the stresses of modern life.

The island has 18 glens, 32 beaches and 95 miles of coastline, making it a haven of for marine life. Due to its location in the gulf stream, the Calf of Man attracts whales, dolphins, basking sharks, and a lot of seals.

(Manx Wildlife Trust)

From the middle of May to the end of August, the island is the perfect spot for the animals to breed and raise their pups.

ITV Granada reports that the two successful applicants will have to relocate to the island for nine weeks to carry out the yearly seal survey, to get a better understanding of the seal population.

The pair will then complete two weeks of data analysis of their findings.

Accommodation will be provided, along with a weekly allowance of £40.

The Calf of Man is just off the south coast of the Isle od Man and has 95 miles of coastline (Getty)

Some of the job responsibilities include daily visits to pupping sites to count the number of births and recording the developmental stage of the seal pups. You’ll also need to take pictures of each adult seal as well as each pup with its mother, to compare their images with an ID catalogue.

Applications are open now for the volunteer positions, with the closing date on August 18. The role will start in early September.

You can find the advert for the position by clicking here.

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