Blakeney Point seals: Numbers at National Trust colony hit four-year high
The number of common seals at a north Norfolk nature reserve has hit a four-year high.
New figures from the National Trust, which manages Blakeney Point reserve, reveal 412 seals were counted at low tide, the largest number since 2011. Coastal ranger Ajay Tegala said the trust was "not entirely sure" why the summer numbers had increased. Only 55 common seals were counted during the same period in 2014. "The common seal, also known as the harbour seal, has increased, but we're not entirely sure why," Mr Tegala said. "We know they feed well close to the nearby wind farm because this is a good place for the fish to spawn. "These numbers would certainly suggest the population is perhaps a little healthier than it has been in recent years. "They are very cute to look at and a great draw for the tourists over the summer." The figures reflect the number of "hauled out" seals, so-called because they are counted when they haul themselves from the water up the shingle beach. It follows a spectacular winter breeding season for grey seals along the four-mile sand spit, when pup numbers reached an all-time high of 2,425. The population exceeding pupping levels on the Farne Islands in Northumberland and Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, and made the colony the biggest in England, In addition to the common seals, a colony of Little Terns has also had summer success on the reserve, with 42 adults fledging 32 young, marking "the best Little Tern productivity on the point since 2011," Mr Tegala said.