Seal webcam: Watch the Blakeney Point colony live

The seal webcam, which was first trialled at the start of the 2024 pupping season, gives viewers the chance to watch as the female seals (cows) haul out to give birth, and suckle their pups during the first 2-3 weeks, while imposing males (bulls) vie for dominance and the chance to mate with the cows.

If you are lucky, you might even see a live birth – a truly special sight and something which our camera caught within days of going live last year.

When is seal pupping season?

Grey seal pupping season begins in late October and continues until early January. The cows suckle their newborn pups with high-fat milk for around 3 weeks. During this time the pups grow rapidly and begin to moult the white coat (lanugo) they are born with.

Once weaned, the pups are left to fend for themselves. It usually takes another three weeks for the pups to fully grow their shorter, adult, waterproof coat. At this point they will enter the sea and learn to catch fish and sustain themselves.

The bulls compete with one another for the right to preside over groups of up to 10 cows, with mating beginning soon after each cow has weaned her pup.

Why has the colony been so successful?

The grey seal colony at Blakeney Point has grown dramatically over the past 25 years, from just a few seals at the turn of the millennium to well over 15,000 today.

Aerial surveys conducted by the University of St Andrews’ Sea Mammal Research Unit provide a biennial picture of the number of pups born here and at other colonies along the east coast of England and Scotland.

The latest estimate, from the 2023 surveys, puts the number of pups born to the Blakeney Point colony at around 9,000 each year.

The success of the grey seals is in large part down to the lack of predators. They have fared particularly well at Blakeney Point because the 4-mile shingle spit offers a vast expanse of gently sloping beach, which makes it an easy place for the seals to haul out.

In addition, the Point’s sand dunes offer the seals and their pups protection from the elements during stormy weather. The colony also benefits from the Point’s remoteness and the lack of disturbance from people and dogs.

More about the wildlife on Blakeney Point

As well as being home to the grey seals, and smaller numbers of common seals, Blakeney Point is also an important site for breeding terns and other ground nesting birds.

During the summer months, the Point becomes home to breeding birds including little terns, sandwich terns, ringed plovers and avocets.

Our rangers, who live in the iconic landmark of the blue lifeboat house during the summer months, supported by teams of volunteers, play a vital role in monitoring and protecting the important wildlife here.