By Gregor Melville
After the curlew won the spot of most popular Species of the Week for 2020, for this particular post I will be discussing the ever wonderful “sea dogs” – the seals! Instead of just focussing on either the harbour seal (also known as the common seal) or grey seal, I have decided to use the plural of species in this context. This is because I believe that both types of seal found around the island deserve some recognition.
The scientific/Latin name of the grey seal is Halichoerus grypus. This name translates into English as “hook-nosed sea pig” – not the most flattering name… these seals spend most of their lives at sea, looking for fish such as sand eels and cod. These two species are the primary food source for grey seals, but they will eat whatever fish they can catch.
Male seals (called bulls) generally only live for up to 25 years, but female seals (called cows) can live for up to 35 years. Baby seals (called pups) are small, fluffy and white. These adorable little pups can be found suckling their mothers’ high fat milk from September – November, depending on where in the UK the seals are. Grey seals were the first mammal species to be placed under protection, back in 1914. To this day, acts such as The Conservation of Seals (1970) protect them from the 1st of September to the 31st of December.
The scientific/Latin name of the harbour seal is Phoca vituline. Despite being called the common seal, this species is actually less common in the UK than their grey cousins. These seals also spend much of their time in the water, being known to occasionally swim up rivers to look for food! When on land, they put their body in a banana-like crescent shape, with their tail and head held high. It’s believed that harbour seals do this to keep their heads and tails dry, for regulating body temperature and when they feel safe and content, which is lovely.
Harbour seals have a more varied food preference, going for fish, squid, whelks, crabs and mussels. The pups of these seals are born in the Summer, being able to swim after only a few hours of life! Like grey seals, the milk of the cow is very rich in fat, allowing for harbour pups to grow rapidly.
But how do you tell the difference between the harbour and grey seals? The most easily identifiable differences between the two types of seals are their sizes, head shape, nostrils and colour. Grey seals are larger than harbour seals, with a longer, sloping head and a parallel nostril shape. Their colour as adults is mostly grey, with darker spots or blotches along their bodies.
Harbour seals are usually smaller, with a shorter head and more concave forehead. Their nostrils form a V-shape. Like grey seals, adult harbour seals can be grey with darker patches, but may also vary in colour from blonde to black.
To conclude – seals are best left alone. When hauled out on land to rest or digest their food, they can be very easily scared by people and dogs, or nearby boats. Please make sure to admire them from a distance! I was lucky enough to see three seals (species unknown, they were too far away for me to identify) happily leaping out of and splashing about in the waters of Newton Bay one evening. What a privilege it is to live on an island where sights like this are possible…
References:
The Wildlife Trusts | Grey seal (online) https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/marine/marine-mammals-and-sea-turtles/grey-seal
(Accessed on the 18th of February 2021)
The Mammal Society | Species – Grey Seal (online) https://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/discover-mammals/species-grey-seal/
(Accessed on the 18th of February 2021)
The Wildlife Trusts | Common seal (online) https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/marine/marine-mammals-and-sea-turtles/common-seal
(Accessed on the 18th of February 2021)
The Mammal Society | Species – Harbour Seal (online) https://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/discover-mammals/species-harbour-seal/
(Accessed on the 18th of February 2021)
wildmillportfsc.wordpress.com 