Atlantic Grey Seal
The Atlantic Grey Seal is a widely distributed species of pinniped, a diverse group of carnivorous, fin-footed, semi-aquatic marine mammals comprising the walrus, the eared seals such as sea lions and fur seals and the earless seals or true seals. Its scientific name Halichoerus grypus means "hooked-nosed sea pig".
The Atlantic Grey Seal is a large seal, rotund at the torso with a more slender hind end and with a thick layer of blubber to provide insulation against cold sea temperatures. There are significant size differences between adult males and females: males reach 8 to 11 feet long and weigh 370 to 680 pounds whilst the females are much smaller, typically 5 to 6.5 feet long and weighing 220 to 420 pounds. Fully grown males also have thick rolls of flesh around the neck and chest areas and a concave “Roman” nose.
The Atlantic Grey Seal has a long, flat face with large eyes and no external ears. The forelimbs are relatively short and blunt and the hind flippers are short and thick. Colouration differs between the sexes: males are dark grey, brown and black with some lighter blotches over the fur whilst females are generally light grey with darker blotches. Pups are born with a thick, creamy-white coloured fur which is moulted for the adult pelage at around 2 to 4 weeks of age.
The Atlantic Grey Seal is found on both sides of the north Atlantic in temperate and sub-Arctic waters. Three distinct populations occur: the western Atlantic population in Canada and northern USA, the north eastern or Baltic population which is endangered and the eastern Atlantic population which is centred around UK coasts and additionally includes Norway and Iceland. Population studies estimate that just under half of the world population lives in the waters around the UK.
The Atlantic Grey Seal is the larger of the UK's two species of breeding seal, the other being the Common (Harbour) Seal. In the UK and Ireland, the Atlantic Grey Seal breeds in several colonies on and around the coasts. Notably large colonies are at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast, Orkney and North Rona off the north coast of Scotland, the Monarch and Treshnish islands off the west coast of Scotland, Ramsey and Skomer islands off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales and Lambay Island off the coast of Dublin. Besides these very large colonies, many much smaller ones exist, some of which are well known as tourist attractions despite their small size.
In the German Bight, Atlantic Grey Seal colonies exist off the islands Sylt and Amrum and on Heligoland. An isolated population exists in the Baltic Sea, forming a distinct subspecies. In the western Atlantic, the Atlantic Grey Seal is typically found in large numbers in the coastal waters of Canada and south to about New Jersey in the USA.
The Atlantic Grey Seal spends about two-thirds of its time at sea but it will return to land for several weeks each year to breed, moult and rest. By attaching radio tags to individuals, scientists know that most seals will stay within about 45 miles of their haul-out site and can remain at sea for up to 20 days.
A commonly observed behaviour is that of “bottling”, where the Atlantic Grey Seal floats vertically in the sea with just its head above the surface. It can be quite curious of humans and boats and it has been known to approach vessels and divers. However, care must be taken when viewing an Atlantic Grey Seal on land as it can be aggressive, especially during the breeding season.
The Atlantic Grey Seal feeds mainly on fish that live on or near to the sea bed but it will also take some crustaceans and squid. An acute sense of hearing and highly sensitive whiskers helps it to locate its prey. It can sometimes be found swimming between fishing boats in harbours to take advantage of discarded catch and it can also be seen investigating fish farms.
In autumn, female Atlantic Grey Seals congregate at traditional pupping sites called rookeries. Pups are born in autumn (September to November) in the eastern Atlantic and in winter (January to February) in the western Atlantic. At birth the pups weigh 30 pounds but as the mother's milk contains 60% fat, they rapidly put on weight and develop the blubber layer essential for maintaining body temperature when at sea. Male Atlantic Grey Seals come ashore at the pupping sites to mate. They compete for sole access to a group of females and successful dominant males can secure access to up to as many as 10 females. After mating, males and females disperse and the pups stay in the rookery surviving on their blubber reserves until after the moult of their thick, creamy-white coloured fur. They then go out to sea and may disperse over large distances.
The Atlantic Grey Seal was once the target of legal hunts in the UK. Since the late 1970's, no licences have been issued in the UK for commercial hunting or large-scale control measures and numbers have recovered since then. The current UK population is estimated at 107,000 to 171,000, of which over 90% breed in Scotland. The Atlantic Grey Seal is now protected in UK waters, principally by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the EU Habitats and Species Directive 1992. However, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, fishermen with a special licence are permitted to shoot seals seen in the vicinity of fishing gear, although some illegal culling may also take place due to the perceived competition with fisheries for commercially valuable fish species.
Populations of the Atlantic Grey Seal are also impacted by pollution, either in the form of toxins or oil, and by entanglement in fishing nets and marine litter. Natural predators are probably limited to the Orca (Killer Whale).
Date: 9th December 2018
Location: Winterton-Horsey, Norfolk
The Atlantic Grey Seal is a large seal, rotund at the torso with a more slender hind end and with a thick layer of blubber to provide insulation against cold sea temperatures. There are significant size differences between adult males and females: males reach 8 to 11 feet long and weigh 370 to 680 pounds whilst the females are much smaller, typically 5 to 6.5 feet long and weighing 220 to 420 pounds. Fully grown males also have thick rolls of flesh around the neck and chest areas and a concave “Roman” nose.
The Atlantic Grey Seal has a long, flat face with large eyes and no external ears. The forelimbs are relatively short and blunt and the hind flippers are short and thick. Colouration differs between the sexes: males are dark grey, brown and black with some lighter blotches over the fur whilst females are generally light grey with darker blotches. Pups are born with a thick, creamy-white coloured fur which is moulted for the adult pelage at around 2 to 4 weeks of age.
The Atlantic Grey Seal is found on both sides of the north Atlantic in temperate and sub-Arctic waters. Three distinct populations occur: the western Atlantic population in Canada and northern USA, the north eastern or Baltic population which is endangered and the eastern Atlantic population which is centred around UK coasts and additionally includes Norway and Iceland. Population studies estimate that just under half of the world population lives in the waters around the UK.
The Atlantic Grey Seal is the larger of the UK's two species of breeding seal, the other being the Common (Harbour) Seal. In the UK and Ireland, the Atlantic Grey Seal breeds in several colonies on and around the coasts. Notably large colonies are at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast, Orkney and North Rona off the north coast of Scotland, the Monarch and Treshnish islands off the west coast of Scotland, Ramsey and Skomer islands off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales and Lambay Island off the coast of Dublin. Besides these very large colonies, many much smaller ones exist, some of which are well known as tourist attractions despite their small size.
In the German Bight, Atlantic Grey Seal colonies exist off the islands Sylt and Amrum and on Heligoland. An isolated population exists in the Baltic Sea, forming a distinct subspecies. In the western Atlantic, the Atlantic Grey Seal is typically found in large numbers in the coastal waters of Canada and south to about New Jersey in the USA.
The Atlantic Grey Seal spends about two-thirds of its time at sea but it will return to land for several weeks each year to breed, moult and rest. By attaching radio tags to individuals, scientists know that most seals will stay within about 45 miles of their haul-out site and can remain at sea for up to 20 days.
A commonly observed behaviour is that of “bottling”, where the Atlantic Grey Seal floats vertically in the sea with just its head above the surface. It can be quite curious of humans and boats and it has been known to approach vessels and divers. However, care must be taken when viewing an Atlantic Grey Seal on land as it can be aggressive, especially during the breeding season.
The Atlantic Grey Seal feeds mainly on fish that live on or near to the sea bed but it will also take some crustaceans and squid. An acute sense of hearing and highly sensitive whiskers helps it to locate its prey. It can sometimes be found swimming between fishing boats in harbours to take advantage of discarded catch and it can also be seen investigating fish farms.
In autumn, female Atlantic Grey Seals congregate at traditional pupping sites called rookeries. Pups are born in autumn (September to November) in the eastern Atlantic and in winter (January to February) in the western Atlantic. At birth the pups weigh 30 pounds but as the mother's milk contains 60% fat, they rapidly put on weight and develop the blubber layer essential for maintaining body temperature when at sea. Male Atlantic Grey Seals come ashore at the pupping sites to mate. They compete for sole access to a group of females and successful dominant males can secure access to up to as many as 10 females. After mating, males and females disperse and the pups stay in the rookery surviving on their blubber reserves until after the moult of their thick, creamy-white coloured fur. They then go out to sea and may disperse over large distances.
The Atlantic Grey Seal was once the target of legal hunts in the UK. Since the late 1970's, no licences have been issued in the UK for commercial hunting or large-scale control measures and numbers have recovered since then. The current UK population is estimated at 107,000 to 171,000, of which over 90% breed in Scotland. The Atlantic Grey Seal is now protected in UK waters, principally by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the EU Habitats and Species Directive 1992. However, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, fishermen with a special licence are permitted to shoot seals seen in the vicinity of fishing gear, although some illegal culling may also take place due to the perceived competition with fisheries for commercially valuable fish species.
Populations of the Atlantic Grey Seal are also impacted by pollution, either in the form of toxins or oil, and by entanglement in fishing nets and marine litter. Natural predators are probably limited to the Orca (Killer Whale).
Date: 9th December 2018
Location: Winterton-Horsey, Norfolk
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