Record numbers of orphaned pups at a seal sanctuary in The Netherlands A seal sanctuary in The Netherlands has seen a massive increase in the number of seal pups washing up along the Dutch coastline. "There has been dramatic increase in numbers as a result of the recent winter storms in the Wadden Sea," said Karst van der Meulen, who runs a seal creche in Pieterburen, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of Amsterdam. Picture: Peter Dejong/AP