SEALS AND ORCAS

Icelandic orcas visiting Scotland target both harbour, or common, seals ( right), which have their pups in June and July, and the more abundant grey seals, which breed in autumn. It has been argued that this predation might be involved in the longterm decline of harbour seals in northern Scotland, though the most recent survey by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2016 suggested that their population has grown over the last five years. Harbour seal numbers rose substantially on the west coast, and in Shetland showed the first increase in nearly 25 years, but remain a cause for concern on the east coast.