The heart wrenching moment a blonde seal was strangled by a fishing net on the Norfolk coast has been captured on camera.
IT consultant, Geoff Smith, 54, captured the photograph which illustrates the reality of plastic pollution.
The seal can be seen with a thick blue net wrapped around its neck, seemingly impossible for the seal to remove this alone.
This is the tragic scene of a blonde seal who has been caught in a plastic fishing net at Horsey Gap on the Norfolk Coast
The animal appeared to have red blotches around his neck, possibly caused by the net cutting into its flesh
Mr Smith contacted seal rescue charity Friends of Horsey Seals, but the animal was able to escape into the sea, avoiding volunteers who wanted to cut him free from the net
Mr Smith contacted seal rescue charity Friends of Horsey Seals to inform them of the seal – but the mammal managed to give volunteers who tried to catch him the slip, and disappeared back into the sea.
Mr Smith, from Ipswich said: ‘You could see that the seal’s neck was cut and that the seal had grown since getting tangled in the netting.
Photographer Geoff Smith said: ‘Mr Smith, from Ipswich said: ‘You could see that the seal’s neck was cut and that the seal had grown since getting tangled in the netting. ‘It’s a tragedy that waste has been a blight on wildlife caused by our carelessness and laziness, both of which can be avoided by raising awareness and educating people and industry on the real consequences of their actions.’