A record number of baby seals have been spotted on a five-mile stretch of coast in Norfolk, the Guardian has reported. A total of 3,796 seal pups have been born so far this winter, while 1,169 adults have been spotted by volunteers.

This year’s figure is almost double the count during the winter of 2019-20, when 2,069 pups had been counted.

Numbers have been steadily rising – 20 years ago only around 50 seals were born here – thanks in a large part to 383 local volunteers whose work keeping the area secure ensures females want to keep going back there to have their pups.

Peter Ansell, the chair of Friends of Horsey Seals, said: “It is a sign of a healthy colony. It’s down to the fish. At the moment the North Sea is providing enough fish for thousands of seals and this is a nice place for them to come ashore and do their breeding.”

Kebab shop visit

Roughly half of the world’s population of grey seals live around the British coastline, with Norfolk being an important breeding area. The seal population between Waxham and Winterton attracts thousands of visitors each winter.

“They are very popular with visitors, which is funny because they don’t really do anything. They come ashore and flop down and every few hours the pup nudges the mum for a feed,” Ansell added.

However, some of the seals clearly have a more interesting time than others. One of the seal pups was seen outside a Norfolk kebab shop on a Friday night!

The story in the Guardian can be read here and the Mirror here. Friends of Horsey Seals website is here.