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Last Saturday we went to see the seal pups at Horsey,North Norfolk. Sunday was quite dull but,as my motto is 'what can happen,will happen, I wanted to get some photos. Dull but not raining and rain was likely. Monday,it poured down. Tuesday was sunny so we went to the viewing location. The beaches are closed from the end of October to the beginning of February.They open after the seal pups have got their waterproof coats late February into March and one year a dad actually placed his toddler on the back of a seal pup to take a photo. !! The volunteer wardens patrol the beach to ask people to keep a distance from the moms/pups and try to divert them they have people telling them that they've been coming to beach for years and they will walk where they want to.At Winterton..(first photo)..same beach a mile further on, a group of RAF cadets on an exercise and walked straight through the seal colony when there were pups still there and refused to detour.I'd have reported that to the Base commander.
Friends of Horsey seals https://www.friendsofhorseyseals.co.uk/
To get to the public footpath along the top of the dunes to see the seals/pups, there's a long set of wooden steps up the land-side of the dunes to the top. There was a mom and pup on the footpath and it was there Sunday. Photo 2. The wardens aren't sure how they got there from the beach over on the other side of the dunes. A warden was directing people off the pathway and amongst the dune grasses to get by them The whole length of the footpath was roped. Along the top of the dunes is a wooden fence (palings) to stop visitors getting amongst the seals/pups. So, on Tuesday the wardens roped off the steps up to the dunes top because the high winds, a day or so before, in conjunction with a high tide had driven many seals off the beach and up the dunes to the fencing and many were actually on the footpath. The notice at the foot of the bridge read. "Closed..too many seals" A review of the closure would take place on Friday and we had to leave on Thursday as we'd only booked four days in the cottage so we went home on the next day. Good job I'd got these photos on Sunday. A notice by the dunes showed that there were 2,300 adult seals and 1750 pups. I was told that 50% of the pups don't survive , often because of storms sweeping them off the beach and they don't have waterproof coats. When a seal abandons its pup they're taken to a seal sanctuary until they can be released into the sea.
A shot of the seals at Winterton.
The seal and pup on the public footpath land side of the dunes.I used my Sigma 150-600mm lens on a 1.6X Canon 7D11 so I was a good way from them.
All the rest taken from behind the footpath palings
The umbilical chord is still showing. It's just sleeping.
Friends of Horsey seals https://www.friendsofhorseyseals.co.uk/
To get to the public footpath along the top of the dunes to see the seals/pups, there's a long set of wooden steps up the land-side of the dunes to the top. There was a mom and pup on the footpath and it was there Sunday. Photo 2. The wardens aren't sure how they got there from the beach over on the other side of the dunes. A warden was directing people off the pathway and amongst the dune grasses to get by them The whole length of the footpath was roped. Along the top of the dunes is a wooden fence (palings) to stop visitors getting amongst the seals/pups. So, on Tuesday the wardens roped off the steps up to the dunes top because the high winds, a day or so before, in conjunction with a high tide had driven many seals off the beach and up the dunes to the fencing and many were actually on the footpath. The notice at the foot of the bridge read. "Closed..too many seals" A review of the closure would take place on Friday and we had to leave on Thursday as we'd only booked four days in the cottage so we went home on the next day. Good job I'd got these photos on Sunday. A notice by the dunes showed that there were 2,300 adult seals and 1750 pups. I was told that 50% of the pups don't survive , often because of storms sweeping them off the beach and they don't have waterproof coats. When a seal abandons its pup they're taken to a seal sanctuary until they can be released into the sea.
A shot of the seals at Winterton.
The seal and pup on the public footpath land side of the dunes.I used my Sigma 150-600mm lens on a 1.6X Canon 7D11 so I was a good way from them.
All the rest taken from behind the footpath palings
The umbilical chord is still showing. It's just sleeping.
