A COMMON seal at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary is celebrating his 19th birthday this Sunday.

And that makes him the attraction’s third-oldest resident.

Bubbles is partially blind, hence his life in captivity.

However, this has not stopped him wooing a succession of “lady friends”.

Bubbles has sired no fewer than five pups — from five different females.

And he is a strong suspect in the impregnation of a recent visiting female, resulting in the surprise arrival of another pup at the centre’s sister attraction in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

Bubbles was born at Colchester Zoo, Essex, and later moved to Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire, before becoming one of the first residents of a brand new seal enclosure at Weymouth Sea Life Park, Dorset, in 2004.

He was the only male in a pool with three female companions, and fathered pups with all three.

Two of those offspring, Herbie and Ed, moved with him to Scarborough in 2006.

The transfer was in part an attempt to curb Bubbles’ procreational prowess.

However, Bubbles confounded the best birth-control tactics of his keepers to sire two more pups.

Of the centre’s residents only another seal, Bruno, and Antiopi, the loggerhead sea turtle, are older than Bubbles.

Birthday boy Bubbles marks his 19th year A COMMON seal at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary is celebrating his 19th birthday this Sunday, making him the attraction’s third oldest resident.

Bubbles is partially blind, hence his life in captivity, but this has not stopped him wooing a succession of lady friends.

He has sired no fewer than five pups, from five different girls.

And he is a strong suspect in the impregnation of a recent visiting female, resulting in the surprise arrival of another pup at the centre’s sister attraction in Hunstanton.

Bubbles was born at Colchester Zoo and later moved to Twycross Zoo before becoming one of the first residents of a brand new seal enclosure at Weymouth Sea Life Park in 2004.

He was the only male in a pool with three female companions, and fathered pups with all three.

Two of those offspring, Herbie and Ed, moved with him to Scarborough in 2006.

The transfer was in part an attempt to curb Bubbles’ procreational prowess.

But he confounded the best birth control tactics of his keepers to sire two more pups.

Only fellow seal Bruno and Antiopi, the loggerhead sea turtle, are older than Bubbles.