Donna Nook - Grey Seal pups
/Today I had an early start and headed East in the driving rain towards Donna Nook on the Lincolnshire coast. My reason for the visit was to photograph the Grey Seal pups, ideally with a sunrise, but there was no chance of any colour in the sky today.
Every winter hundreds of heavily pregnant Grey Seals gather at Donna Nook to give birth, at the same time the bull seals are patrolling the area looking to mate. The first pups are born in early November, and by the New Year the beaches are empty. The pups will grow rapidly in size from the fat rich milk of their mothers, and the females are mated before they leave.
Britain has about 40 percent of the worlds Grey Seals, with this being one of 4 known places in the UK where they breed. There is a visitor centre here and a low fence separates the seals from visitors which can be seen only a few feet away. There are various information boards on the short coastal section, and a visit is highly recommended. The pup count today was about 140, and with the bulls having a go at each other there is plenty to look at.
