Grey seal pupping season begins on the islands in the Firth of Forth!

Grey seal pupping season begins on the islands in the Firth of Forth!

The islands in the Firth of Forth are world renowned for their internationally important summer breeding seabird colonies, but, in the winter months, they play host to a very different wildlife spectacle as they become home to thousands of newly born grey seal pups.

Almost 90% of the UK’s grey seal population breed in Scotland. The Isle of May National Nature Reserve is one of the largest grey seal breeding colonies on the East Coast, with as many as 2000 pups born on the island every year. While this is the biggest breeding colony in the Firth of Forth, grey seals also breed on many of the smaller islands, including Craigleith, where they can raise their pups relatively undisturbed.

Every winter the Scottish Seabird Centre’s live web cams on Craigleith provide a unique insight into the island’s seal colony. This year, visitors are being encouraged to support the Charity’s grey seal monitoring programme by helping them count the pups, the first of which was spotted on the live cameras this week by some excited visitors!

Conservation Officer, Emma Marriott, said: “This is definitely one of our favourite times of year, as seal pups never fail to delight visitors and staff. They’re incredibly cute and it’s a real privilege to be able to watch them develop. This year we’re asking our members and visitors to the Discovery Experience to help us monitor the colony by counting the pups over the next few months. Each winter our conservation team undertake in-person counts of the pups on Craigleith, but these trips can be hampered by bad weather and sea conditions. That’s why we’re asking for a little extra help from the public.”

The Centre is open daily and later this month (20-22 November) will be holding a full weekend of talks and events to help visitors learn more about grey seals, why Scotland is such a stronghold for them and how they can help protect them, particularly over the sensitive pupping period.

Find out more about the Centre’s upcoming events here: https://www.seabird.org/events

Find out more about the Scottish Seabird Centre’s grey seal monitoring work HERE.

Images

Youtube link for the grey seal pup footage from the live camera is available here: https://youtu.be/xk0WvUjC2R0?si=WFuSIKYH5bxlh1a1

Please include image credits:

ENDS

For further press information:

About the Scottish Seabird Centre

The Scottish Seabird Centre is an award-winning marine conservation and education charity based in the coastal town of North Berwick, overlooking the Bass Rock gannet colony. They’ve been connecting people with this incredible seabird colony and the amazing wildlife that Scotland’s sea’s support for over 25 years. Their mission is to save seabirds and restore Scotland’s seas through conservation projects, learning programmes and unforgettable wildlife experiences. The Charity has led a range of high-profile conservation and education projects including the SOS Puffin initiative in the Firth of Forth.

The Scottish Seabird Centre is a registered charity: SC025837 https://www.seabird.org/about-us