Grey seal has been sticking around

In the last week a grey seal has been hauled out on the shingle beach at Dungeness, causing a stir on social media. It has no obvious injuries and has been in the sea a number of times, but just seems to lie among the anglers while they fish on the beach which is a little bit bizarre.

Around the Point, harbour or common seals and the larger grey seal can be seen and there has been an increase in sightings over the last decade.

One of the reasons has been the RSPCA Mallydams Animal hospital releasing the seals at Winchelsea after recuperation.

The one seen the other week was what I would call a teenager, older and bigger than the white coated youngsters and not as big as the full adults. It was a female, due to the lighter coat with dark spots and blotches on her.

Grey seal bulls are classed as the largest resident British carnivore. In the past, their distribution was mainly the west and north of Britain but there has been a spread to more eastern populations with grey seals mixing with common seals which like to breed on sand banks and are a familiar sight on the tidal river banks at Sandwich.

Grey seals like to breed in quiet, rocky caves and inlets at the base of cliffs and on rocky islands.

For more information contact Owen Leyshon, Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership, telephone 01797 367934 or log on to www.rmcp.co.uk