An orphaned seal returned to the ocean in a heartwarming video four months after his rescue by the RSPCA.

Cranberry, weighed just 11kg when found on a North Yorkshire beach in July. He suffered from mouth rot, which causes severe abscesses, ulcers, and lesions which strip away the tissue.

He was released back into the sea next to St Mary’s Lighthouse at Whitley Bay on Sunday (12 November), weighing a healthy 36 kg.

“Seal rescue is labour intensive, but being able to successfully rehabilitate these beautiful creatures and return them back into the wild where they belong is so rewarding.