10 fun facts about our local grey seals

1. The grey seal's Latin name Halicoerus grypus means "hooked-nose sea pig". 2. The grey seals that inhabit the waters around the UK make up 40% of the world's grey seal population. 3. Adults can weigh around 230kg and reach an average of 2.3 metres in length. 4. Males are larger than females and have a characteristic large, curved "Roman" nose with plain darker grey fur, whereas the females have a smaller, straighter nose with lighter silvery, mottled fur. 5. Pups are born in and around the Autumn months covered in fluffy white fur but after a month or so they shed their pup fur for their waterproof adult fur. 6. Born at a weight of around 13kg, the pups will feed on their mother's rich milk for up to 4 weeks until they reach 3-4 times their birth weight. They will then be weaned from their mother and left to learn to feed for themselves. 7. Mothers will often leave their pups on rocks or beaches for up to a couple of hours at a time to feed or rest so if you see a seal pup on its own, do not approach it! A protective mother may not be far away! 8. Grey seals are opportunistic feeders and eat a wide variety of fish and crustaceans but sand eels are their preferred meal of choice which can put them into conflict with fishermen. 9. When feeding they can dive to depths as deep as 120 metres for up to 12 minutes at a time. 10. Grey seals can live 25-35 years with the females tending to outlive the males.