Young Atlantic Grey Seal on pebbled beach, Martin's Heaven, Pembrokeshire, Wales UK
In Great Britain and Ireland, the Gray Seal breeds in several colonies on and around the coasts; notably large colonies are at the Farne Islands off the Northumberland Coast (about 6,000 animals), North Rona off the north coast of Scotland, Lambay Island off the coast of Dublin and Ramsey Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire. In the Western North Atlantic, the Grey Seal is typically found in large numbers all along the coast of North America up to about the coastal waters of New Jersey in the United States. In Canada, it is typically seen in areas such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and the Maritimes, and Quebec. The largest colony in the world is at Sable Island. In the United States it is found year round off the New England coasts and slightly less frequently in the Middle Atlantic States, though its natural range extends to Virginia. During the winter months it can be seen hauled out on the rocks, islands, and shoals not far from shore, and occasionally coming ashore to rest. In the spring the recently weaned pups and yearlings occasionally strand on beaches after becoming "lost". The pups are born in autumn (September to November) in the eastern Atlantic and in winter (January to February) in the west, with a dense, soft silky white fur; at first they are small and shrivelled-looking, but they rapidly fatten up to look like over-filled barrels, from the extremely fat-rich milk they receive from their mothers. Within a month or so, they shed the pup fur and grow the dense waterproof adult fur, and soon leave for the sea to learn to fish for themselves.
Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Martin's Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales UK
Photo credit: © DV Wildlife / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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