SEAL PUPS IN DANGER...HUNDREDS

Seals found in Norfolk which were feared lost after storm

Hundreds of seal pups which had been feared dead after a tidal surge hit the east coast of Britain have been found alive and well.

There had been fears that the Norfolk seal pups, which were not yet mature enough to survive alone, would fall victim to the high tides which deluged communities on Thursday and Friday.

At one breeding ground in Horsey, where grey seals come ashore to breed between November and January, volunteers counted 440 pups on the beach before the surge and only 177 after it hit.

National Trust rangers spent the weekend searching for pups at one of the large colonies at Blakeney Point, normally home to about 1,000 seals and pups.

A spokesman said: "It is with great relief that the ranger team discovered the vast majority of the colony survived the extreme tidal surge.

"There had been fears that many of the young pups, which can't swim or survive without their mother's milk until they have shed their distinctive white fur, would have been displaced from the colony or have lost their lives.

"However, it would appear that the majority of seals and pups were able to reach higher ground on the sand dunes and escape the worst of the surge."

263 Seal Pups Lost To Deadly UK Storm Surge

Marine Life, News08 Dec 2013

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Hundreds of grey seals have been lost on the north Norfolk coast due to the deadly storm surge, say experts.

The National Trust, which supports volunteers at Horsey Gap, issued a statement confirming 263 seals have been lost from the beach.

The charity urged visitors to the area not to interfere with the pups and allow the colony to recover naturally.

The white coats of young pups are a common sight on the beaches at this time of year.

Volunteer group Friends of Horsey Seals monitors the seal population at Horsey Gap nature reserve.

A spokesperson said: “We were powerless to do anything to rescue any of the pups as we could not put any of our wardens in danger.”

The National Trust has been unable to access the national nature reserve at Blakeney Point, where it manages common and grey seal colonies, due to “extensive damage” to footpaths and bridges.

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