Record number of grey seals counted at Cumbrian nature reserve

A record number of grey seals have been counted at a nature reserve in Cumbria.

More than 560 seals have been spotted at South Walney Nature Reserve near Barrow over the past six months.

This beat the previous record of 518 seals that was set four years ago.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust have called the increase in the size of the colony "wonderful news."

What have experts found?

There are two species of seals found in the UK, grey seals and common seals - with the grey seal being the larger of the two.

They can grow up to 2.6 metres in length and weigh up to 300kg.

Conservationists have been keeping a close eye on grey seal numbers in the South Walney Nature Reserve for a number of years.

In order to count the colony, Cumbria Wildlife Trust used drones that were flown "very high" to avoid distressing the animals.

Traditional methods were also used which involved "crawling across the shingle and watching the seals through binoculars," according to the Trust.

In total, 563 seals were spotted between September 2024 and March 2025.

The previous highest grey seal count at the site was 518, recorded in 2021.

Beth Churn, from Cumbria Wildlife Trust, explained: "This is wonderful news and a real landmark for us. The growth of the grey seal colony at South Walney is a great conservation success story. "

"The colony has grown from single figures in the 1980s and 90s and now we have exceeded our previous highest count by nearly 50!" she added.