The waves are hurling themselves against the shore. This coastline is weather-sculpted; notches, cliffs and coves expertly carved by wind and water. One such cove has become a popular spot for locals to gather – grey seals.
From the viewing point, I can see about 30 on the beach like sea-smoothed pebbles, a kaleidoscope of browns, greys and whites, all flecked and mottled with individual patterns. Most lie clustered at the foot of the cliffs; some sleep almost on top of each other, occasionally slapping a fellow seal in the face with a flipper.
But slightly distant from the others and significantly smaller is a bundle of grey peach-fuzz with dark, wide eyes, only around four to five weeks old, peeping out from beneath a rocky outcrop.
Grey seals, whose Latin name, Halichoerus grypus, translates to “hooked-nosed sea pig”, give birth during the winter. Instead of blubber, pups are born with white fur called lanugo, which is warm but not waterproof. Pups don’t swim for the first few weeks, so mothers leave them on beaches while they hunt for fish, returning to feed them every few hours. Mum and pup learn each other’s scent and voice, enabling them to always find one another.
But after about three weeks, mothers leave for good and pups are left to navigate life alone. They learn to swim and dive with no instructor, and hunt through trial and error, instinctive efforts made harder by strong currents and rough conditions. Life is tough: 30% of pups won’t survive their first month, and half don’t make it through their first year, threatened by starvation, disease and marine pollution.
The pup below has shuffled back under the shelter. I can only see its small, light-grey head poking out, tentatively watching the adults. Its mum would have left only a week or two ago, and despite having developed its adult coat, it is still very vulnerable. The tide is coming in at speed. Soon the water will reach the cliff base and there will be no beach left, forcing the little seal to fend for itself, alone in the murky depths.
• Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian’s Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount
