Males arrive at the rookeries in order to compete for mating rights over females, often scarring each other in the process. Fair Isle, Grey Seals have been known to burst up to speeds of around 35 kph (22 mph), but their usual speed is about 10 kph (6 mph). Grey seals are found primarily around the Scottish islands, along the British east coast and in Cornwall. Recent research indicates that grey seals eat large quantities of sand eels, which are caught for use in fish meal but not for human consumption. 1. off the north coast of Scotland, Lambay Island off the coast of Dublin and Ramsey Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire. Seals also thrive around the Farne Islands and off the west and and north coasts of Ireland. Location: Northeast coast of North America, Northwest coast of Europe. Estimates place the worldwide Grey Seal population at around: North America – 250,000 However, these marine mammals are known to get caught up in fishing nets and are even targeted by fishermen in certain areas. They form much larger groups during breeding season. Gray seals can fall prey to killer whales and sharks as they rest on the water’s surface, keeping their head and neck above the water to breathe. Gray seals are charismatic, large seals found along the shores of the North Atlantic Ocean and are part of the “true seal” family, which means they lack external ear flaps and move along the sand by flopping on their bellies. This can result in fasts that last as long as 20 days for females and 50 days for males. In these waters, gray seals experience cold temperatures and sub-arctic environments. The time of birth depends on their location – the North American pups are born around January and February whereas European pups are born from September through November. Several grey seal culls have been undertaken, the most recent in Scotland in 1977. The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is only found in the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea. A gray seal can dive to depths of up to 230 feet on average to swallow fish and other creatures, or to bring larger food to the surface to break up in pieces for eating. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the grey seal breeds in several colonies on and around the coasts. Grey Seals are a member of the “true seals” family. Notably large colonies are at Blakeney Point in Norfolk, Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, the Farne Islands off the Northumberland Coast (about 6,000 animals), Orkney and North Rona. The relationship between numbers of seals and the incidence of fish parasite infestations is a complex issue. Gray seals grow to a maximum length of 10 feet (3 m) and weight of 880 pounds (400 kg). A gray seal can hold its breath for more than an hour at a time. Born with soft white fur, the pups are nursed on their mother’s milk which is made up of up to 60% fat, growing to four times their birth size. From birth to three weeks old, a gray seal pup may gain up to three pounds a day feeding on the mother’s nutrient-rich milk. Colour can vary drastically. Bearing the less-than-noble nickname "hook-nosed sea pig," these sleek swimmers were once close to extinction in the US and are now protected under American law, Region: In the Dutch Wadden Sea, a colony of grey seals was established in the 1990s. Grey Seals are protected in the United States by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Large male adult grey seals can be up to 2.7m in length. We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done. Weight: 100 to 400 kg, males being larger. Subscribe to our mailing list and receive regular e-bulletin packed full of mammal news and ways you can get involved with mammal conservation, Sniffing out the biases in small mammal trapping. As one of the rarer seal species worldwide, its entire population is around 400,000 individuals. Female Grey Seals will mature sexually at about 4 years of age.
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