Baby seal numbers nearly double in Norfolk
- Published
Nearly 4,000 grey seal pups have been spotted on a beach in Norfolk - and it's the most there's ever been in the area! It's nearly double the amount that were counted in the 2019/2020 season when the total pup count was 2,069.
Every year, thousands of people flock to the beaches between Waxham and Winterton to watch these adorable babies, but there are strict rules to follow. Even though they look sweet, seals can be quite vicious, especially around their pups so people are asked to stay 10 metres away and to keep their dogs on leads.
Experts say seeing this many seals is a sign of a healthy colony. Grey seals like this give birth in Norfolk from early November until the end of January. They lay about on the local beaches while the pups feed for around three weeks and grow big enough to fend for themselves.
Peter Ansell, chairman of Friends of Horsey Seals said: "They are very popular with visitors, which is funny because they don't really do anything, they come ashore and flop down and every few hours the pup nudges the mum for a feed."
Experts say there's currently lots of fish in the North Sea which is why so many have come to Norfolk to breed and bring up their young. Around 50% of the world population of grey seals actually live around the British coast!
The seal pups will eventually lose their distinctive white fur and become fully grown seals like these! This usually happens between February and April after which the seals will eventually find their own way into the water driven by their hunger for a tasty snack.
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