The Wildlife Trust's North Sea Wildlife Project

Seal 72238 visits Spurn Point National Nature Reserve

A unique tag has allowed Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to find out more about a recent visitor to Spurn Point National Nature Reserve.

After contacting the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) it was learned that grey seal 72238 was a female tagged as a pup on the 27/11/09 on the Isle of May in Scotland. She was tagged as part of a long-term study being carried out by the SMRU to look at breeding, survival and population estimates for grey seals.

William Patterson of SMRU went on to provide further information regarding the visitor "she would have been born around mid to late October and would have suckled from her mother for approximately two and a half weeks"

"After this suckling period the mother leaves the pup and heads out to sea while the pup remains on land and enters a period of fasting that is variable in length but can last up to two to three weeks. It is during this post-weaning fast that we apply tags like the one reported. After the post-weaning fast pups leave the island and can end up as far south as Donna Nook for example"

"This animal may be going through its first full annual moult during which time seals can be quite keen to haul out more. The information we get from the number of animals that return to breed on the Isle of May allows us to estimate things like survival to adult age and age at first breeding. Likewise, reports of tags outside the breeding season feeds into data that are used to estimate survival of grey seals overall and the rate at which tags might be lost. All this information allows us to make informed decisions on the advice we give in terms of local and government policies regarding seals"

"For these reasons we would be grateful for any future reports of tagged seals"

Have you seen a tagged seal? If so please contact the Sea Mammal Research Unit.