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The Atlantic Grey Seal<br />
The Atlantic<br />
Grey Seal<br />
The Atlantic grey seal is the largest carnivore in<br />
the British Isles and one of the world’s rarer<br />
seal species with total numbers fewer than 400,000.<br />
They only inhabit the north Atlantic, the Baltic Sea<br />
and the Barents Sea, but almost 40% of the world<br />
population - which translates into 95% of the<br />
European total - lives and breeds around the islands<br />
and coastlines of Scotland.<br />
eir scientific name, Halichoerus grypus, is derived<br />
from Greek and means ‘sea-pig with a hooked nose’.<br />
Anyone close to a beautifully mottled male might<br />
disagree with the reference to pigs, but will probably<br />
have spotted the proboscis-like snout. e old<br />
Shetland name is ‘haaf fish’, since these were the seals<br />
seen at the deep ‘haaf ’ fishing grounds though in the<br />
Northern Isles, seals are oen referred to as ‘selkies’.<br />
Other names include ‘ron mor’ in Gaelic and the<br />
more prosaic ‘horsehead’ in Canada. An old<br />
<strong>Scottish</strong> legend says they are the daughters, cast<br />
forever under a spell, of the king of Lochlinn from<br />
distant Scandinavia. Their attractive eyes supposedly<br />
originated from royal blood and they were<br />
known for the sad songs they sang on the far<br />
beaches of the Hebrides.<br />
Thought to Speak Gaelic<br />
e haunting melodies were so beautiful, it is said<br />
they could prompt humans to leave their land-locked<br />
life by diving to join the bobbing offshore colonies.<br />
Tales on Mull described how seals were from remnants<br />
of the Pharaoh’s army, overwhelmed when the Red<br />
Sea, parted for the Israelites, fell back upon their<br />
pursuers. ey became seals and, though highly<br />
unlikely were thought to speak Gaelic.<br />
Grey seals were known to love music and it was said<br />
they would listen to the sound of the bagpipes as it<br />
Roger Butler is inquisitive about them<br />
dried over the islands. One Hebridean story<br />
indicates the seals would always sing once the salmon<br />
had drunk three mouthfuls of spring water, deemed to<br />
be a sure sign that summer was on the way. And the<br />
seasons play a key role in the life of the grey seal.<br />
Most of their time is spent at sea, but they come<br />
ashore to breed in the autumn as well as for the annual<br />
moult in late winter. In July and early August the seals<br />
are fat and well fed and the mature bulls start to make<br />
their way towards long-established breeding grounds<br />
to create territories which are defended against any<br />
later entrants.<br />
Define a Territory<br />
e bulls generally arrive before the cows, which<br />
come to give birth - usually in less than 30 seconds!<br />
Cows can bear their first pup at five years of age and<br />
can continue to give birth up to the age of 35. Bulls<br />
are mature by the age of six, though it is oen another<br />
four years before they are bold enough to define a<br />
territory and they seem to have a shorter life span than<br />
cows.<br />
Grey seals use two different types of breeding islands<br />
in the Hebrides. In the Inner Isles sites are characterised<br />
by seaweed-covered erosion platforms, exposed<br />
as the tide falls, and small beaches which can be as<br />
much as a quarter of a mile from the open sea.<br />
Channels allow the cows to move to and from the<br />
water while the bulls remain on nearby rocks.<br />
In the Outer Hebrides, subject to the incessant<br />
pounding of the Atlantic, only east-facing beaches are<br />
used for breeding. Alternatively, grassland on top of a<br />
low island will be used, with access via gullies or<br />
shelves of rock. On remote North Rona, where gales<br />
could easily sweep away a new born pup, births take<br />
place on grassy patches as much as 250’ above sea level.<br />
28 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JANUARY / FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>