Releasing the seal

When the scientists finish measuring the seal and attaching the transmitters, they then turn off the gas that is keeping the seal anaesthetised. Oxygen is provided to the seal to help remove the anaesthetic gas from the seals body. Slowly, the seal wakes up. The scientists and vets stay with the seal while it is waking up but they quickly hide a short distance from it.

The seal does not remember what has happened to it. The last thing it remembers was being chased, so it wants to run away. But the scientists are hiding so the seal cannot see what it was running from. The seal is confused so it goes into the water where it feels safest. The seal gets a lot of stimulation from the cold, moving water and it recovers quickly from the anaesthetic.

At first the seals do not like having the transmitters on their back, and they try to scratch it off. After a short while, they ignore it.

Transmitters are designed to have minimal effect on the seals swimming ability. They are flat and are glued in the middle of the seals’ back, just behind the highest point.