Grey seals in Cornwall

Also known as Atlantic seals

Grey seals are true seals, as opposed to eared seals. They may be seen off most of the coasts around Britain, particularly the rocky coasts in the north and west. They breed here from September to December and are protected by law during this time.

Usually they only leave the water to breed or to rest and moult their fur. Grey seals actually vary considerably in colour from black to brown and dull grey to bright silver. The males tend to be darker than the females, although both are usually darker on the dorsal surface than on the underside. Both sexes often have a distinguishing pattern of blotches, allowing individuals to be recognised, but it is usually easier to identify the females.

Often very vocal, grey seals have been known to snarl, bark, hoot, moan and even hiss. They feed mainly on fish and this can bring them into conflict with fisherman.

GREY SEALS - THE FACTS!

Coloration

The colour of the pelage (or coat) of grey seals varies considerably. The fur itself ranges from black to brown and dull grey to bright silver. The males on the whole are usually darker than the females, and pale markings around their necks are usually old scars sustained in combat with other males. Both tend to be darker on the dorsal surface than on the underside. They both often have a distinguishing pattern of blotches but this is usually more easily seen in the pelage of the females. Juveniles often appear clad in two-tone brown: mid-brown on the top and fawn below.

In profile, male and female heads appear different, while juvenile seals of up to two years old are different again. Males' noses appear "swollen", possibly as a result of too much fighting(!), whereas the profile of the female often resembles that of a golden retriever. Seals continue to grow (a little) throughout their adult lives, so old females may come to resemble males in profile. However, the heads of the males tend to be broader; heavy rolls of fat cover their necks and their bodies are both longer and more massive. Young juveniles - up to the age of two or three - are much smaller than the adult seals and much more snub-nosed. In fact, in the West Country they are often mistaken for common seals. However, common seals occur only rarely and have only been confirmed as breeding here on one occasion in the last 50 years.

In recent years, it has become known that, especially in the well-marked female seals, every seal has a unique and recognisable pattern of markings. For the convenience of observers, who make the vast majority of observations of seals swimming or "bottling" (upright and still in the water, often asleep) in the sea, only those markings on the head and neck are used. Two initial "mug-shots" are taken of every individual (where possible) because the two profiles of the seal bear different sets of markings. Subsequently, every sighting of that seal is logged against its name so that, eventually, we will have gathered at least a partial life history of that individual. Only then can we learn hitherto unknown details of their lives:

• Do they remain faithful to certain sites, which could be regarded as "home sites"?
• Do they form enduring relationships with other individuals or groups of individuals?
• Do they migrate seasonally, annually or occasionally? Do they breed every year?
• Is the annual pup production increasing, steady or decreasing?
• What is the pup mortality rate and what are the main factors the cause pup mortality?

Habits

In south -west England, the habits and annual calendar of the grey seal are remarkably different to those described in scientific papers and general literature. This is most marked in the development of pups. In 1995, it became apparent that pups - born yellowy white, orange or creamy white - have often completed their first moult by about the 13th day of life; sometimes earlier. Elsewhere, they are said to complete the moult around or after the time of weaning - or from the 18th day of life onward.

If you look at books written about the seals that live and breed along the coasts of the British Isles, you will know that only grey seals and common seals are resident. Other seal "wanderers" do occasionally reach our shores. It may be surprising to learn that walrus and harp seals occasionally turn up, albeit usually on the coasts of Shetland and Orkney. However, in October 1995 an immature hooded seal - normally a resident of the waters around Greenland and Iceland - was found stranded on a Cornish north coast beach.

The common seal tends to live along relatively sheltered stretches of coast. When they haul themselves out of the sea, they will probably be seen basking on mudflats or sandbanks in English waters, although in Scottish and Irish waters they will be found hauled out on skerries (small rocky islands). Until July 1994, no common seal pups are known to have been born in south-west England for at least 50 years. However, one was born that year near the mouth of the River Erne in south-west Devon.

The grey seal tends to be the seal of exposed rocky coasts. In world terms they are quite uncommon, perhaps numbering about 300,000. However, the British Isles are, along with the east coast of Canada, the world headquarters of this seal. The British population may number as many as 120,000 - mainly to be found in Scottish waters. That population is believed to be growing, but not in south-west England. Here, except for less than 100 grey seals living around islands off the Breton coast, the grey seal is at the southernmost limit of its breeding range in the East Atlantic.

In the South-West (Cornwall, Devonshire, the Isles of Scilly and Lundy), the grey seal is found only in a number of widely scattered localities. Nowhere is it found in large numbers, although about 300 may dwell in the local "capital", the Isles of Scilly. There, pups are born on remote and uninhabited islets which can be totally submerged by the heavy seas that run in autumn and winter. This can cause the deaths of some or even all pups that are still being suckled by their mothers.

On the mainland and on Lundy, most seals are born on small, tidal beaches at the back of sea caves. These caves are some of the wildest and most beautiful of the few really wild places remaining in southern England. Usually, they have a deep water entrance, and often they run into the cliff for 100 metres or sometimes even more. When storm seas run, then caves are filled with boiling, seething water. It is hard to imagine anything surviving in such places. Nevertheless, they do. Here, for 17 days, it was fed by its very caring mother. The milk it drank was so full of fats that it had the consistency of mayonnaise.

Classification:  

Cornwall's Nature Introduction Marine life Mammals .. Bats .. Bottlenose dolphins .. Grey seals .. Hedgehogs .. Otters .. Watervoles Wildlife gardening Invertebrates Herptofauna .. Reptiles .. Amphibians Geology Slugs and snails SEARCH . . . . . . . . .