Number of seal pups born on Norfolk beaches skyrockets
An estimated 2,500 pups were born this year alone
Last updated 24th Jan 2022
Volunteers in Norfolk have seen skyrocketing numbers of baby seals being born on part of the county's coastline.
The charity Friends of Horsey Seals estimated that a minimum of 2,500 seal pups were born on Norfolk beaches in the past year.
This figure is a massive increase on the number of pups born in 2002, equalling only around 100 pups for the entire year.
While the exact figure for the past year has not been determined due to extreme high-tides, staff at the Friends of Horsey Seals charity have noticed a steady increase of about 10% a year.
Chairman of the organisation, Peter Ansell, compared the growth of the seal population to that of the human population.
“The older ones are living longer so they’re not dying off so quick, and the younger ones are reproducing at a rapid rate, and every year you’ve got a fresh batch of new mothers coming along, in addition to all the established ones,” he said.
But Mr Ansell has warned that if weather conditions continue to worsen, this year's seal count, as well as future counts, could be called off.
He said: “This probably will happen again next year, because if we’re going to continue to get these extra-high tides then the seals will do what they’ve done this year – they’ll go for the high ground and we may find it impossible in future to do the counts.
“But we’re talking about nature here, and with nature you’ve no idea what’s going to happen next week, never mind next year.”
Norfolk's coastline is dotted with open beaches perfect for seal pups, but due to the extreme weather, many seals may migrate further north or south to suit their needs.