BEACHMASTERS Grey seals at South Walney Nature Reserve
Te Spit, a shingle promontory at the far end of the nature reserve, is a good haul-out spot for seals due to its easy access to the sea and minimal disturbance from people. Te proximity of several windfarms to South Walney may have caused a ‘reef effect’, whereby the offshore structures serve as an artificial reef for mussels, oysters, shellfish and fish to grow without being fished. Tis provides more foraging opportunities for the grey seals and could be drawing them to the area. In addition, the culling of seals has been prohibited for over 50 years under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, which protects seals from intentional killing or injury. Colonies have expanded as a result, so the population increase within the South Walney colony may be due to younger adults moving from overpopulated breeding areas. Breeding seals oſten return to the same spot year aſter year, which has been recorded at South Walney.
Monitoring at South Walney
Te Trust monitors the grey seal colony throughout the breeding season. From September to March, a population count is undertaken every two weeks to monitor the number of adults, and also the number of pups born. Te seals are counted every 10 minutes over the course of an hour to gain an accurate representation of the population size. If the weather is good enough, monitoring is conducted by drone, which allows a much more accurate count. In bad weather the survey is carried out by eye, from a position on the Spit that’s hidden from the seals’ view so they are not disturbed. Te seals’ behaviour is also observed to see when they’re playing, being aggressive or mating, giving conservation staff a beter idea of the factors affecting these behaviours. Any vocalisation from the seals, as well as the group structure/layout, is also recorded. Photos of the seals taken during the survey are analysed to count the population and are also used to identify any individuals that have been present in previous years. Each grey seal has a unique patern on its body, which can be used to differentiate them from one another.
Trust surveys in 2024 recorded 563 individuals and the birth of 10 pups.
DID YOU KNOW? Have you ever seen a ‘banana-ing’ seal? Tey do this to keep their extremities (head and flippers) out of the water to stop them geting too cold!
Abi O’Leary is one of the Trust’s interns with Marine Futures, a partnership with Te Crown Estate, Ørsted and Natural England. Abi is working on offshore seabird monitoring, seaweed farming, and marine net gain policy. She will also be helping to monitor South Walney’s grey seal population over the winter.
Seal watch
A typical day spent monitoring the grey seal colony at South Walney Nature Reserve involves two members of the marine team undertaking a population count.
Here’s an overview of our day…
• Te timing varies to coincide with the tide. Te first half of the survey takes place 30 minutes before low tide and the second half takes place 30 minutes aſter low tide.
• We collect roll-mats and head over to the Spit. We walk along the far side of the Spit, keeping low and quiet throughout our approach.
• We choose a spot by crawling slowly to the top of the shingle bank above the colony. Once in position, laying tummy- down on our roll-mats, we liſt our heads to view the colony. With head raised we should be able to see the colony, but when lying flat we shouldn’t. If a seal looks at us, we duck down immediately.
• First, we record the survey conditions, including the weather, visibility and distribution of the colony.
• Every 10 minutes we liſt our heads and count the number of seals using binoculars and a clicker, dropping back down between counts.
• Aſter an hour and six counts, we have completed our survey! We then leave the Spit in a similar way to the approach: quietly, slowly, and keeping low until we’re out of sight of the seals.
Cumbrian Wildlife | November 2025
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