Rare Black Seal Puppies Spotted in English Nature Reserve

In England’s largest grey seal colony on the north Norfolk coast, wildlife inspectors were taken aback when they spotted ten extremely unusual black seal pups. Grey seal pups typically have a white coat that sheds in two to three weeks, revealing a grey coat beneath the white skin.

However, about one out of every 400 grey seals has a velvety black coat due to an increased production of the dark-colored pigment melanin, making them melanistic seals. During the winter pupping season at Blakeney Point, rangers sighted ten of these rare black seal pups, and volunteer warden Hanne Siebers was able to photograph them.

The National Trust noted that black seals are extremely rare, with research estimating that about one in every 400 grey seals is melanistic. This season, their rangers have already sighted ten of them. Melanism is defined as an increase in the production of the dark pigment melanin.

Blakeney National Nature Reserve in Norfolk is home to a record 4,000 newborn seal pups this year. The number of seals born at the breeding spot has increased to the point where rangers have had to reevaluate how they count the seals in recent years. They will now be counted in one area to offer an overall picture of how the colony is performing.

Due to the density of the colony, the National Trust has ruled it dangerous to go through it, both for staff and for the seals. The first grey seal pup was discovered at the nature reserve in 1988, and the colony has grown significantly since then, from 25 pups in 2001 to 3,399 pups in 2019.

While this season has a lot of work ahead of it, the National Trust advises that if you spot a seal or a seal pup, it is essential to keep your distance and not approach or harm these natural creatures in any manner.