Air count reveals total numbers of seals in Wales – with around 70% found on north coast

An aerial survey has revealed the number of seals located around the entire coast of Wales – with most being found in the north.

Over three days early last August, the coast and all offshore rocks and islands were checked using light aircraft.

All seals on the shore were photographed and counted, and a total of 1,313 grey seals were found at 58 separate sites around Wales.

Most (70%) were found along the North Wales coast, and the remaining 30% were concentrated along the Pembrokeshire coast.

It’s believed that only about 25% of the total population of seals were actually counted, with the rest being at sea.

Therefore, the count actually represents an estimated total population of at least 5,300 grey seals.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee commissioned the Sea Mammal Research Unit to carry out the survey.

Wales has three marine Special Areas of Conservation with protected populations of Atlantic grey seals.

The grey seal population in Wales is usually estimated from the number of pups born in the autumn each year at Welsh colonies.

But outside the pupping season, grey seals disperse widely, often travelling hundreds of kilometres to feeding sites.

While some grey seals move out of Wales after pupping, it is thought that other seals move into Welsh waters from elsewhere.

The survey took place in the summer, prior to pupping time, to estimate how many seals were feeding in Welsh waters, rather than just those that raised their young at Welsh colonies.

Dr Thomas Stringell, a lead specialist advisor on marine species at NRW said: “Grey seals are present around the coast of Wales throughout the year.

“There is limited information on the grey seal population in many parts of Wales, especially outside of pupping time.

“Although there is information from pup counts from some of the larger breeding colonies in Wales, there is sparse information for many seal haul-out sites in Wales, with no data since the 1990s for several.”

Although grey seals are found throughout Wales and south-west England, they are thought to only make up about 4% of the total UK breeding population, with Scotland and the east of England being pupping hotspots for the marine mammal.

Another species of seal, the harbour (or common) seal is not often found in Wales and southwest England, despite its name.

In fact, surveyors only spotted one in Wales during the entire survey.

Dr Stringell said: “At haul-out sites where previous August counts are available, for example in North Wales, the data suggest that the number of grey seals in summer has increased by around 65% over the past 20 years.

“The results from the aerial photographs and counts are now being further analysed by experts on seals and we are hopeful it will lead to a much better understanding of the population of seals we have in Wales.”

Dr Dave Thompson, a seal biologist in the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews was responsible for carrying out the surveys.

He said: “The coasts of Wales are notoriously difficult to survey for seals and are not usually covered in our regular nationwide aerial surveys, so there is very little historical haul-out data from Wales.

“This data and information will be vitally important as we continue to monitor these marine mammals in future.”

The grey seal is the larger of the two UK seal species and they spend most of their time out at sea feeding on fish.

They return to land to rest, moult and pup and can often be seen on remote rocky and sandy beaches.

Grey seals give birth to white-furred pups in the autumn which stay on land until they have lost their white coats and trebled their body weight.