An Atlantic grey seal was born on Sark this winter, the first record of seals breeding on the island. The pup was found when it was just over two weeks old by a local lady sea-swimmer after she had seen an adult seal, the pup’s mother, in the same area several times. A couple of days later the pup was abandoned by its mother, a natural behaviour once it is weaned, and it began exploring the sea on its own. Over the next week the pup shed its white baby fur to reveal its dapple grey coat and soon after left its birth place for a life at sea. (To avoid disturbing the pup its presence and location were kept to a small number of people and these pictures were taken from a distance with a telephoto lens for the same reason.) The full story of Sark first seal pup can be read in the spring issue of Sark Life magazine which is for sale now at various outlets on Sark and online at http://www.smallislandpublishing.sark.gg/sarklifebackissues.html

The pictures of Sark’s first seal pup and the text above were provided by Sue Daly Productions.