Thursday 16 December 2021

Beach Babies

The North Sea coast in mid-winter can be a brutal place. Winds whip down from the Baltic, waves crash onto the beaches and there's no cover whatever from the elements. Not the sort of place, nor the time of year, to give birth and care for the little ones. Or so you might think.



This is the coast at Horsey Gap in north Norfolk - and those aren't rocks on the beach, but Grey Seals; the darker ones are probably males (bulls), the mottled brown ones are the cows and the smaller white ones are their pups.



They come ashore along this stretch of coast and start giving birth in November, though some will not be born until January. 



They only suckle the pups for around three weeks, though the milk is so rich that in that time they more than triple their weight. They don't stay cute and fluffy like that for long either, they soon moult all that cotton wool and grow a waterproof, sea-going coat like their parents.



Should you visit Horsey you'll be greeted by members of the Friends of Horsey Seals (FoHS) who oversee the welfare of both seals and visitors.



This gorgeous creature, for example, had managed to get up close to the path through the dunes and was being supervised by one of the volunteer wardens so that we didn't approach too closely, thereby avoiding scaring the pup or any human visitors getting bitten. This photo was taken with a long lens from an appropriate distance.



The beach itself is roped off during the breeding season to prevent disturbance to the seals. In fact part of the dune path was closed too as a particularly cranky bull had decided to take up residence in the dunes. It didn't matter too much as there was plenty to see in the other direction, where there were less people.



Everyone we saw was behaving impeccably, though we were told that the public can at times do all manner of crazy and dangerous things, like dodging under the ropes and trying to chase the pups into the sea. As their coats are not waterproof when they are young this could be fatal for them.



When this colony first began, at the beginning of this century, there were just a few seals here, but it seems there are more each year. So just how many seals give birth along this stretch of coast?



Adults 2,881
Pups  1,172
as of 25th Nov 2021
but why are there no more recent counts?



Those of you from the UK may remember that we had some strong winds and storms at the beginning of December. This played havoc with the seals and many of them sought refuge among the dunes making it too dangerous for those trying to count them. Seals can be aggressive and surprisingly mobile if you get between them and the sea, as they feel threatened when their escape route is blocked.



However I can give you the total from last winter when 2,500 pups were born along this stretch of coast between Horsey and Winterton. In all about 40% of the world's population of Grey Seals are born around the British coast.



This little one, who must be very recently born, had found a tennis ball washed up by the tide and was practising some football skills. They are naturally very inquisitive and tend to play with everything they find, some of which are much more harmful. Every year the team here rescue young pups who get tangled up in plastic and fishing nets. 



The gestation period for seals is eleven months, which means that, as soon as the pups are weaned at three weeks, breeding starts again.



 A few more facts about these remarkable creatures:
Although they are warm-blooded, air-breathing mammals (just like us) they can dive down to 300 metres and stay underwater for around twenty minutes.



Every year or two our local news programmes feature stories about seals that have turned up in all sorts of unlikely places - like in a farmer's field twenty miles inland! 



Some people think that the Grey Seal is not as good-looking as the Common or Harbour Seal. The scientific community agrees and its Latin name Halichoerus gryphus roughly translates as "hook-nosed sea-pig".



Bulls like the one above can live for about 25 years and weigh in at around 350 Kg (772 lbs) - that's around a third of a ton. Cows are not so big but can live about ten years longer.



This little one's got a lot of growing to do.


Take care.


35 comments:

  1. great photos and text. thanks

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  2. What a super post! Informative and with delightful images!

    An absolute cutie in your final photo.:-)

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  3. Un reportaje espectacular sobre las focas grises, me han gustado mucho todos las fotos. Tienes un nuevo seguidor desde el norte de España. Saludos desde http://faunacompacta.blogspot.com/

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  4. Thanks for all of this terrific information about your seals! The photos were awesome and I really enjoyed this post, John.

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  5. Beautiful, beautiful things. Thank you. Penguins are not waterproof until after their first moult either.

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  6. Wonderful post. Thank you for sharing these amazing creatures!

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  7. Wow soo cute!!Ihad to admit i was confusesd beach babies at this time of year hih hih But the pictures are soo delightful and wonderful

    Do this always happenen at that beach?The little ones really are funny and the one playing that ball what a cutie:)))

    I hope people will let them in peace
    But it is nice to watch at long distance

    Wish you all good and thanx for sharing beauty

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    Replies
    1. Yes, they've been breeding every winter here for about twenty years. There seem to be more each year and they spread further and further along the coast.

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  8. Thank you so much for posting this. Such beauty there and so much wonderful wildlife. Looking at these photos is the best Christmas present of the season.

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  9. So glad to hear volunteers are protecting the seals from those who would come too near. You took some wonderful photos. The camouflage on the mother lying next to the baby is beautiful, blending her right into the sand even so close up. The babies, however, really stand out in their whiteness and I would think that would make them vulnerable.

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  10. Hi John - stunning photos and 'running commentary' on the grey seals. Lovely to see so many - but interesting they've only been there for 20 years or so, and now are increasing in numbers each year. I'm glad to read they went inland into the dunes when the storm approached. Such fun to see - cheers Hilary

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  11. A great post. It is so good that the volunteers are looking out for them. I'm off to google where this is exactly.

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  12. I certainly enjoyed seeing so many seals of all sizes. They are very interesting, and I'm glad you had your zoom lens ready to capture them in "close-ups." And it was great to learn all about them.

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  13. Sounds like they are well looked out for. Beautiful shots.

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  14. I would never have guessed that so many pups are born here. Glad to see they are well protected and can go about their business undisturbed.

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  15. Fascinating stuff John - most of which I didn't know so thank you for that. Have a good, Covid-free Christmas.

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  16. I think the jerks who drive the pups into the sea should be driven into the sea themselves. Far out, preferably.

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    1. The helper we spoke too said that occasionally a bull seal chases idiots who go onto the beach; she seemed to relish this part of the tale!

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  17. Amazing animals. the beach at La Jolla, California, hosts a breeding ground. Keeping people away and animals safe takes effort and time. Keeps volunteers busy, park rangers busy.

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  18. Very interesting and different post. Thanks.

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  19. This is an amazing story. Why is it that the seals starting coming here in 2000? Where were they gathering before?

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    Replies
    1. Presumably from other beaches further north, but no one knows for sure, or why the decided to move.

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  20. These seals prove just how much conservation can actually achieve if given suitable care and attention.
    The last photo looks a cute bundle of fun.

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  21. It's encouraging to read your post, John. We CAN make a difference if we choose to.

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  22. Round head, large eyes, doggy or kitten faces - they are very appealing.

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  23. Again I learned some great new stuff from your post!

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  24. Those little ones are so incredibly cute! At first glance, I did think those were rocks on the beach.

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  25. Great to know about this. I had no idea such things went on in Norfolk!

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  26. Great post, John. I enjoyed reading about the seals and your photos of them are amazing. They have nice big eyes to give them their cuteness and it works because they are very cute. :)

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  27. I find this so interesting. And I think they are all cute...but don't think I would want to get too near them. I don't know what is wrong with people that they would want to chase the pups into the sea...

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  28. Your story of the British seals - and the great photos - I've found so interesting John. Thanks for going out in what looked like a cold day - and thank goodness there are good people caring for them while the babies are so vulnerable.
    My first encounter with really large Elephant seals was on my expedition trip to the Sub-Antarctic Islands - the bulls weighed up to 3000kg. Here's a link to that trip.
    Later, on another expedition I saw more huge seals in Antarctica - along with literally hundreds of thousands of beautiful penguins!

    https://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.com/2012/01/magical-macquarie-island-part-i.html

    Hope your pre-Christmas week is going well and that your holidays will be merry and bright John.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the link, Mary. It must have been a fascinating trip.

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  29. Very interesting story and great shots! I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing. The babies are so cute! Just look into their eyes.. The volunteers did a great job.

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  30. Oh my, such beautiful photos of these wonderful animals. I think they are all so beautiful. The pups are so darling. Thank you for sharing, hugs, Edna B.

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