A baby seal was left stranded on a beach groyne with no way of 'wiggling down' towards the sea.
The seal pup - a regular sight for many in Saltdean - was spotted with a frown on his face on the beach yesterday afternoon after he found himself in a sticky situation.
He can regularly be seen playing on the rocks near the Whitecliffs Cafe and the nearby groynes with his parents.
But on Monday afternoon the pup managed to get stuck on the groyne with no way of getting back into the water.
Cafe owner Julieanne Honeysett said: "He obviously hasn't discovered the art of wiggling down."
The council's seafront office were called to the scene but as the tide rose he managed to find his way back into the water.
In 2019 animal charity Brighton Dolphin Project told beachgoers not to approach seals on the beach - and especially pups.
A spokesman said: "We are very lucky to live in such close proximity to common and grey seals, but our advice is not to approach any pups, especially whitecoat pups.
“Please do not encourage them into the water, as they don’t swim well at this young age."
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We’re grateful to the people who contacted our seafront team about the baby seal on Saltdean Beach yesterday.
“We in turn got straight on to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue services, who are the specialists for this kind of rescue work.
“We checked the beach early this morning and the seal had gone.
“Residents should call our seafront team on 01273 292716 if they have any concerns about seals or dolphins on our beaches, be they alive or apparently dead."
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