Dec 21st Horsey Gap

Grey Seal pup

Prepare yourself for the ridiculously cute! I have returned to Horsey Gap with Mum to see how the seals are doing. There are seal pups everywhere now. Over 630 pups have been recorded here so far this winter and most of them are big, podgy and extremely cute with grey fluffy fur. There were a few white newborns on the beach, but the majority are now weaned and are nearly old enough to leave for the sea to learn how to hunt for themselves.

Seal watching!

With schools closed for Christmas, Horsey has become packed full of families who have come to see the seals. The car park was almost full and the viewpoints on the dunes had a long row of people all away across them. There were lots of volunteers, a portable toilet block and a burger van here now. It is a much different place than when we were here last month. Over the years, the Horsey Gap seals have become a tourist attraction every December during the height of the pupping season.

Female seal and juvenile gull

Getting too close to a pup is not a good idea...

... I told you so! Mum chases it off!

"I told you to get lost!"

A bull arrives. Trouble just got bigger!

She was being submissive by turning over onto her back

After leaving the bull, she went back to her pup

A pup in a hole!

There were more pups than adult seals on the beach this morning. Some of them were close to us along the bottom of the dunes, others appeared relaxed as if sun bathing on their backs on the beach, while a handful stayed close to mum. One pup was testing its baby teeth by chewing on a washed up tree branch. It was like watching a puppy playing with a chew toy and was very entertaing to watch.

Just look at that face!!

This pup was testing out its baby teeth!

Earlier this month, a seal gave birth to what is possibly the first seal twins to be born in the UK at Horsey Gap. They were seen suckling the same female and became instant celebrities. DNA research is underway to see if these claims are true. Sadly, their mother has abandoned them due to disturbance by the public and were taken to the RSPCA Norfolk Wildlife Hospital at East Winch, near Kings Lynn. They have been sexed and named after Star Wars characters, with the female called R2D2 and the male C-3PO. They will be released into the wild hopefully sometime soon.

Zzzzzzzzzz! Its a hard life being a seal!