Another cross-posting from my growing GCSE National History blog.
A webcam has been set up on Blakeney National Nature Reserve to observe the seal pupping season on the end of the Point. This is a relatively local place, which is easy for me to get to the end of the Point, but there is no public access to the reserve itself.
Some companies continue to operate at this time of year, taking visitors to the end of the Point.
The National Trust site describes it as follows:
Blakeney Point, on the Norfolk coast, is home to England’s largest colony of grey seals. Each winter thousands of seals haul out on to the beach and dunes for the pupping and breeding season. Until recently, a boat trip was the only way to see this remarkable wildlife spectacle – but nestled among the dunes we now have a solar-powered wildlife camera bringing you a live stream from the heart of the colony.The webcam YouTube page provides further information. Click to view.
Thanks to Bloomberg Philanthropies for funding this livestream.PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS AN UNFILTERED LIVE CAMERA AND VIEWERS MAY SEE FIGHTING, MATING AND SCENES OF A DISTRESSING NATURE.
The cameras will be live until mid-January 2026 when the seals and the new generation of pups will return to the sea. During that time we estimate around 9000 pups will be born.
It's one of England's most extraordinary wildlife spectacles. Edward Stubbings, the National Trust’s Area Ranger for Blakeney Point, said: “Last year we trialled the seal camera for the first time and had some great feedback from those who viewed the livestream, as watching the seals can be both fascinating and relaxing. Some of the highlights included a live seal birth, cows suckling their pups and bulls vying for dominance and the chance to mate with the females.”
The long-term growth of the Blakeney Point seal colony is also now confirmed thanks to the latest data from biologists at the University of St Andrews.
Latest figures published by the Seal Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) estimate that:
• Pup numbers have increased by more than three-quarters (77%) in just five years from 5,036 in 2018 to 8,946 in 2023.
• Over the past decade, pup production has increased more than five-fold from 1,614 in 2013.
• With no natural predators, growth at Blakeney Point has outpaced national increases, making it England’s largest grey seal colony
Because of the sheer size of the colony, manual counts are no longer practical or safe.
Image: Seals at Blakeney Point - Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license.
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