A dead seal has been found washed up on a beach in west Dorset late yesterday afternoon.

Coastguard teams from West Bay and Lyme Regis were called to reports of what was believed to be a dead porpoise or dolphin, however, upon discovery, it was confirmed to be a seal. 

The Lyme Regis crew was stood down en-route and the West Bay team reported the animal carcass to the local authority to be disposed of.

READ: Dead dolphin washes up on Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: "A report made at about 5.20pm on 18 June of a porpoise or dolphin washed up on Hive beach was confirmed by West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team to be a dead seal.

"The animal was reported to the local authority for disposal."

According to Dorset Wildlife Trust's website, there are two species of seal that are native to Dorset's waters, grey seals and common (or harbour) seals.

They are highly mobile marine mammals, capable of covering hundreds of kilometres and remaining at sea for days at a time.

From time-to-time seals will come ashore, also known as ‘hauling out’.

READ: Dead porpoise washes up on Cogden Beach in west Dorset

This may be to simply rest and aid digestion however at certain times of the year they will spend longer periods of time on land such as during the moulting and breeding season. 

The Dorset Wildlife Trust says that although seals do not have any natural predators in Dorset, they face increasing pressures from environmental and human-based sources. 

This includes climate change causing more frequent extreme weather, affecting prey availability and distribution, people getting too close to seals and marine litter posing a risk of entanglement.