Yesterday three young seals staying at the Hel Seal Centre were released into the sea in Czołpin, within the Słowiński National Park area. Two of them − Maszop and Maszoperia − were born in the Seal Centre, where they learnt to swim and fish in adaptation tanks. Animal lovers could watch the pups grow via the www.sledzfoki.pl website, which can still be used to watch the daily life of the adult seal population at the Seal Centre. The third seal, named Łebek, had been found in a bad condition stranded off the Baltic coast. After having been nursed back to health, the animal returned to the wild with the other seals. Grupa LOTOS had the honour to perform the symbolic release of Maszop, who, longer than the other pups, showed some hesitation about returning to his natural habitat. A detailed account of the event is posted on our 'Kierunek Bałtyk' ('Headed for the Baltic') Facebook page. Grupa LOTOS, the Foundation for the Development of the University of Gdańsk and the Marine Station in Hel have been running the LOTOS protects the Baltic Sea’s wildlife programme since 2007. As part of the initiative, the Company supports conservation of the most endangered animal species in the Baltic Sea, such as the porpoise and the grey seal, and carries out various campaigns and educational projects addressed to the general public.

For more information on the Company’s conservation and environmental programmes, visit www.kierunekbaltyk.pl.

Communication Office, Grupa LOTOS S.A., ul. Elbląska 135, 80-718 Gdańsk, Poland, tel. (+48) 58 308 87 31, (+48) 58 308 83 88, e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl