2008

TG4722 : Seals at Horsey

taken 15 years ago, near to Horsey, Norfolk, England

This is 1 of 5 images, with title Seals at Horsey in this square
Seals at Horsey
Seals at Horsey
An annual spectacle on the beach at Horsey is seal weaning. During December and January, a three kilometre stretch of beach is covered with some 500 Atlantic Grey Seals.
After mating the previous year, the females come here to wean the new-born calves for about three weeks. Then they abandon the calves, who fend for themselves for a further one to four weeks before their coats are sufficiently waterproof for them to enter the sea without drowning.
During that time they do not have a source of food, so live on the reserves of fat they have gained during weaning. At any one time during this period the beach is covered with seals at various stages of the cycle, including males who have come to mate with the females to start the next 11-month gestation cycle.
The beach is cordoned off, with viewing platforms provided, and this information is taken from one of the adjacent notice boards. The public are prevented from venturing onto the beach, but sometimes the seals come up onto the marram-grass covered dunes and can get close to the human visitors.
This is an large adult male. Many of the seals look, at first glance, to be rocks. Then they move.

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Graham Horn and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Seals
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Period the Beach is Covered with Seals [9] Title Clusters: · Seals at Horsey [5] ·
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Grid Square
TG4722, 54 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Graham Horn   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 24 December, 2008   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 29 December, 2008
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TG 476 229 [100m precision]
WGS84: 52:44.8528N 1:40.1035E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TG 476 229
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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