Grey Seals

Grey seals or Atlantice seals (Halichoerus grypus) appear larger than Common Seals. Grey seals spend most of their time inside the sea. Mature adults of Gray seals are approximately 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 250 kg, whereas the females are about 1.8 meters long and weigh around 150 kg. The female Grey seals live longer up to 46 years while the life span of males are not more than 35 years.

The coat color varies with black, brown, gray, silver or white patches. The back of the grey seals appears darker than the underside. Generally, the males are darker than females, with both of them having dog-like muzzle with parallel nostrils.

Grey seals breed between July and January. At birth, the grey seal pups are about 95cm in length and 14 kg in weight. Generally during the weaning period, the pups never attempt to swim. Once a female gives birth to a pub, its principal occupation is with nursing its young one.

Other than the times when the babies are fed, the mothers just swim in the seas and take care of their pups from far. During the weaning period, the mother does not eat and survives on its fat reserve, losing about 3 kg per day.

The pups are weaned for around 16-21 days. During this period, they gradually lose their white fur and get their adult coat. During the weaning period, the babies gain up to 45 kg and the mothers leave them abruptly. Following this, the young seals enter a sedentary life thriving on their fat store without any other food, move or swim. Slowly they learn to feed and develop independence.

Once they are able to swim, grey seals spend more than two thirds of their time at sea. It is in water that they hunt and feed themselves. Grey seals feed on any type of fish that is abundant, but their favorite food remains eels and cod.

Most interestingly, grey seals were the first mammals that were protected by legislation through the Grey Seals Protection Act of 1914. In 1970s, there were outcries that the seals feed on large quantities of fishes competing the fisheries. Seals damaged the nets in an attempt to consume salmon fishes. It was also argued that the mass breeding of grey seals on the Farne islands caused soil erosion.

These concerns lead to a dramatic increase in the culling of grey seals, besides the commercial value of their skin. Over a million seals have been killed during the past three years alone. However, several mass movements and governments have raised a cry to stop this cruelty.