Blakeney Point is a long finger of shingle and sand running from east to west along the north coast of Norfolk, formed over the centuries by eroded material washed westward by the coastal current. The western tip of the spit is a favourite hauling up points for a large and thriving colony of Wash seals, a “must see” for visitors to Blakeney and the surrounding area. It’s possible to walk to the tip of the Point via a lane running out to the centre of the spit from the eastern end of the village of Cley-next-the-Sea, but this route entails a long, tiring flog over the loose gravel and most visitors prefer to take a boat trip from Morston creek.
The Blakeney Seal Colony
The seal colony contains both Common and Grey Seals and currently (2010) numbers a total of around 500 animals, but both the overall size of the colony and the proportion of the two species vary from year to year. Over recent years the proportion of Grey seals has increased, as the Common Seal population has suffered from the effects of a series of outbreaks of PDV (Pocine Distemper Virus), a canine viral disease to which the Grey seals are less vulnerable. PDV outbreaks in 1988 and 2002 hit the Common seals hard, although they are slowly recovering.
The seals are part of a larger population in and around the Wash, and at certain times of year some of the seals may move between Blakeney and the Wash. The seals use the western tip of Blakeney Point and the sands to the west for breeding, pupping, moulting and basking.
The seals spend 90% of their time ashore, diving for a maximum of 20-30 minutes, then hauling out onto exposed sands north of Stiffkey at low tide and moving eastwards onto the higher sands on the western end of Blakeney point as the tide rises. In the water, the seals may range over a distance of 25 -30 miles from Blakeney as they hunt for fish.
Adult seals have been known to live for up to 40 years in captivity, but are generally thought to have a shorter lifespan of 20-25 years in the wild, with females living a little longer than males.
Both species suckle their pups for about 3 weeks, during which the pups may put on 2-3.5 lbs in weight a day on their mothers’ rich fatty milk.
Common Seals
The Common Seal, or Phoca vitulina, is the smaller of the two, with males reaching around 5 ½ feet long and females a little less. They have a more rounded head than the Grey seals, with “V” shaped nostrils.
The Grey Seals
The Grey Seal, or Halichoerus grypus, is the larger species, males growing to around 7 feet long. They have a speckled coat, longish pointed head and vertical nostrils.
Visitors’ Boat Trips to Blakeney Point
A boat trip is the easiest and most popular way to see the seals. Trips lasting around 1-2 hrs, depending on the tide, run from Morston Creek daily for much of the year over the high tide period.
Sailing to the Point across the sheltered waters of Blakeney harbour, visitors taking the seal trip are largely spared the North Sea’s waves, and can watch the totally unconcerned seals hauled up on the spit only a few yards away, or bobbing inquisitively in the water around the boat. When the tide is right, visitors also have the opportunity to go ashore on the spit to visit the National Trust Information centre.
More about Blakeney Point, its origin and habitat.
Sources and Further Information
- The National Trust.
- Readers Digest Guide to the Water Life of Britain.
- Norfolk Wildlife Trust
- Bishops Boats for seal trips
- Beans Boats
Tony Allen - In 2004 I began my "fourth career" as a freelance writer. In my first career, after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I ...
