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A newly independent Grey Seal pup, likely from the colony on Lundy in the Bristol Channel, hauls out on the rocky coast of Croyde Bay.
A newly moulted Grey Seal pup on the North Devon coast, yawning after an exhausting swim
Newly independent Grey Seal pup exploring the North Devon coast
A newly weaned, female Grey Seal pup exploring the rocky gullies of Croyde Bay on the North Devon coast.
I met this little grey seal in Croyde bay when she surfed past me whilst I was photographing the waves. She is a moulted female pup, probably only 4-5 weeks old, a month at most, and therefore has recently weaned. Given that we met on the North Devon coast, she is likely to have been born to the Grey Seal colony on Lundy Island. Apparently, after weaning, seal mothers abandon their pups to fend for themselves. The moulted pups disperse in search of food and have to figure life out for themselves. For me, that explains both the pup's curiosity about her surroundings, but also her tolerance and naivety to the presence of a human.
I reported this siting to the Seal Research Trust, with the photographs, so that they can track the little lady's progress if she is sighted again. She has been named New Zealand, after the markings on her neck, which are apparently a unique means of identification.