BinDayBuddy home

Draft storyOn the shore

A seal having a rest

A seal is resting on the beach, so the friends give it space.

A draft: the words and pictures are waiting for an educator’s review.

Who’s in it

Meet everyone in Gullbrae

The story

Arthur looks through binoculars from behind a railing on the coastal path; far across a wide empty beach, a tiny grey seal rests on the sand.

From the coastal path, Arthur looked through his binoculars. Far away on the sand, a grey seal was having a rest.

On the path, Eddie asks a question with one palm up, while Arthur holds his binoculars low and gestures back along the path.

Eddie wondered if they should go closer to help. Arthur kept to the path and pointed back along it instead.

Arthur: “Look after the garden, look after the shore, and ask the right person when help is needed.”

On the path, tall Wee Wullie shows Eddie a photo of a seal on his phone, holding binoculars in his other hand.

Wee Wullie showed Eddie a photo of a seal. He explained that a resting seal may be just fine, and the best way to watch is quietly, from far away.

Wee Wullie, Arthur and Eddie stand together far back behind a stone wall, calmly watching the bay, with a tiny seal resting far across the beach.

The three friends stayed well back and kept quiet. The seal carried on resting, undisturbed.

Wee Wullie: “Wee is the nickname. Giving wildlife plenty of space is the important bit.”

For grown-ups: The picture is not a measure of distance. British Divers Marine Life Rescue asks people to stay at least 100 metres from a seal, keep quiet and not approach, with children and dogs kept back (checked 20 October 2026). The ground, the seal’s behaviour or local rules may mean you need to stay farther away.

Wee Wullie sits alone on a path bench, talking on his phone and holding a clipboard, with a closed case beside him.

Wee Wullie sat on a bench and rang his team, just to talk it over. Trained people would decide if the seal needed anything at all.

Wee Wullie, Arthur and Eddie walk on along the coastal path, away from the beach, with Wee Wullie’s binoculars lowered.

Then the friends walked on along the path. Sometimes the kindest thing is to leave a seal in peace.

Draft, 20 October 2026. The words and pictures are not yet reviewed by an educator. The story follows the outline in our story guide.

The real-life bit

Giving a resting seal space can be the helpful thing to do. British Divers Marine Life Rescue asks people to stay at least 100 metres away, keep quiet and not approach, and to keep children and dogs back; the ground, the animal’s behaviour or local rules may mean more distance is needed. If a grown-up is concerned, they follow British Divers Marine Life Rescue’s current advice. Gullbrae is made up. Your council’s own rules are the ones to follow.

Wee WullieMeet Wee Wullie: he works at the marine hospital Check your own bin dayEnter your postcode All 81 storiesThe full story guide