My favorite examples of marine life in wales
The grey seal
Growing up to 3 m in length weighing 120-300 kg living on average for 30-40 years, spending most of its time out at sea feeding on fish however they can often be found on rocky shores, they breed on the sandy east coast and the pups can be seen between October and December, they stay on land until they have grown out their white coats and increase their weight three times over so they can easily stay warm in the cold waters so they can hunt for themselves. They are mainly grey in colour and are larger than the common seal in terms of the body and the length of the head, they also have a distinct “roman nose” profile. They are possibly one of my favorite sea creatures. They are currently protected under the conservation of seals act 1970, the wildlife order of 1985 in Northern Ireland and the Marine act of 2010 in Scotland. You can help out this species as they have been persecuted in recent years and their population has declined as a result, this has thankfully been stopped with the ban on shooting and now the population in the UK is the largest in Europe, however they still suffer from illegal shooting, pollution and disturbance when breeding, you can help by supporting movements that are working to help[ these creatures and being considerate if you do go seeking them out to watch or photograph.
