I have been going out weekly to two sites in Western Ireland during this year’s harbour seal breeding season to get some estimates how the population is doing and how many pups are produced. On Facebook, I have been uploading photographs of some of those trips. But I just wanted to give a short update of how it is going as the breeding season is well underway.
This past weekend, I have observed the highest pup numbers as of yet for both regions. In general I can say that there seem to be more pups in Killala Bay in comparison to Galway Bay. It has to be noted though that the population in Galway Bay is quite scattered and I can only conduct counts at so many sites in one day.
Let’s have a look at Killala Bay first. Over the course of the breeding season, the seals have moved along the shoreline and most seals are hauling out very close to the rivermouth. When I arrived this past Friday, there was only one individual in the general area. The biggest haul-out group (27 individuals) was further down towards the river mouth as can be seen in this picture.
There were two mum-and-pup pairs in this group. One pair was located to the very right and quite separated from the group as would be expected for a mum-and-pup pair. The second pair moved around a little as well in in the end was situated in between the main group and the first pair. Here are a few pictures of these two pairs. It was quite foggy at that point as well, which made for extra special photographs.
Further down towards the rivermouth, there were more groups of seals. One seond group of harbour seals which consisted of 14 individuals. You might notice the female grey seal in the front left, a little separated from the group. There was a total of four pups in this group! Can you spot them all?
This group was followed by a smaller group of three juvenile harbour seals. The main grey seal haul-out was well separated from the harbour seals that have pups. Usually, these are seen hauling out close to the harbour seals in the area, but this weekend they formed a separate group. Aren’t they gorgeous? This group was by far the most vocal and even though I was located at the opposite site of the estuary, I could hear them haul very well! Grey seals are known to vocalise a lot more than harbour seals and during these field trips over the summer, I could always tell when grey seals are around. They were a very active bunch and when seals were in the water I could always hear them first and then they would come haul out.
This group was followed by a single juvenile harbour seal towards the very end of the estuary. If you found the four pups in the previous picture, then you might have noticed that the mothers are not necessarily near. This is normal in harbour seals as the pups are left to themselves while the mother goes on foraging trips. During the time that I spent there, one of the mothers returned and the pup instantly got active and followed its mother around. The pair left this group and they hauled out a little further off as can be seen in this photo constellation. The pup is a little behind and before it made it all the way to lay by its mother’s side, they left this are as well and hauled out again just in front of the largest group where they stayed until I left the area.
Upon the tide coming in, the entire group either left the side or came forwards onto one of the sandbank that was starting to get submerged by the incoming tide. If you remember, there were two pups in that group. One of these was the most active pup I had observed so far running around, testing the water, playing with the other pup(s) and juveniles, rolling around on the sand bank and all the while staying close to its mother. I was mesmerized by this little one! I felt so privileged that I could observe these moments that I almost forgot the incoming water. But not to worry, I made it back just in time.
This was the maximum number of pups that I have counted over the summer. As mentioned above, Galway Bay has proven to be more difficult to monitor. The main location where I carry out photo-identification studies and have a good platform to count and observe the seals from is Tawin. However, this is not one of the known breeding sites in the bay. I have found a premature dead pup during the very early stages of the breeding season in late April. However, the seals have since moved to better breeding sites that are more protected and sheltered compared to Tawin. I have seen a few pups in Kinvarra Bay and Oranmore Bay. This weekend I counted the highest number of pups, which meant two pups in Kinvarra Bay and one pup in Oranmore Bay. I know there also have been pups at Ballyloughane, which have been admitted to Seal Rescue Ireland and are in excellent care. The pups I observed are in good health and though the number in generally lower than in Killala Bay, there is a lot more locations in Galway where the seals are potentially breeding. Here one photograph I took last weekend in Kinvarra Bay. Can you spot the pup in here?
The pup is quite hidden by the rocks, but was quite active during the time I spent observing the seals from shore. The second pup cannot be seen here as it was further left. After a while, the second pup followed its mother into the water. Harbour seal pups are actually able to swim from birth! Isn’t that impressive?
I will soon have an update for the breeding season as we are nearing its end. Until then, keep an eye out and keep a distance when you seals during this crucial time of the year. If you notice anything, please do report it. You can always let myself know or call the rescue line from Seal Rescue Ireland.