By Lauren Beavis via SWNS
Pictures show an 81-year-old fisherman who has been feeding his catches to local seals for decades – and even has names for them.
Martin Spouse fishes for lobsters, crabs and muscles for paying customers – but saves the leftover mackerel and herring fish for his seal friends.
Skipper Martin, based in Eyemouth, Scotland, says the seals have been coming for years to see him – and he even has names for them.
He decided to start feeding seals whilst working on a boat venturing around the west coast.
Martin, who co-runs the business with his son Trevor, said: “It’s all about keeping the seals happy.
“I started it and passed it over to my son – but I still do it when he’s not here and does other work.
“It is mostly the same older seals who come and they keep the food to themselves – they chase the young ones away!
“But as the old die off, the young ones will finally get in I’m sure.
“The seals get names eventually – when we first started my granddaughter used to name them all!”
His regulars include Lucy, who he describes as a ‘big and blind beauty’.
Martin said: “Lucy is a lot bigger than the rest – she never leaves the harbor.
“We had another blind seal who had been on TV a lot, but she died around eight years ago we think – she just disappeared.
“We had Billy and Charlie too – but they didn’t come back after breeding season last year.
“There is around three to four weeks in November where most of the seals will go away because it’s breeding season.
“But some disappear and don’t come back.”
Martin explains he often has around two seals who regularly come back during Christmas time, and around four at the moment that come in to be fed.
He explains how there are many more seals in the harbor – but they are not let in for feeding by the regulars.
Martin added: “They have to be a certain age and didn’t get their place at the feeding station yet – it’s all about pecking order.”
Martin explains how he gets multiple phone calls a day from adults, families and school groups wanting to come and see the seals.
He explains how instead of feeding the seals by hand, he uses a pole with visitors – for the simple reason of ensuring they go into the seals’ mouth instead of a seagulls’.
Martin added: “We feed them on poles otherwise the gulls get them! The seals do all sorts of tricks to get their food.”
Though Martin adores his work, he says he is unsure if he can keep doing it full-time next year due to his age.
He said: “It’s not a winter job! But I love the seals, they are my life.”
