First seal pups born at Donna Nook nature reserve

The first seal pups have been born heralding an influx of visitors to Donna Nook nature reserve, near North Somercotes.

Wardens and the team of volunteers from The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust spotted the first seal birth last week. There were a total of eleven new born pups by the weekend and there are more than 68 cow seals and 33 bulls on the stretch of beach near Donna Nook.

Around 70,000 visitors flock to the Lincolnshire coast to watch the seal breeding season which lasts through to the end of the year. Trust organisers urged visitors to be respectful towards the natural habitat of the seals who return each winter to rear their young.

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The colony of grey seals on our coast is boosted by around 2,000 pups each season. Organisers urged visitors to stay within the viewing area behind the fence. No dogs are allowed because it disturbs the seal cows and their pups. Seals can also carry diseases harmful to dogs.

Visitors must not feed the or pet the seals. They must strictly observe all red flag and other bombing range warnings.

Flash photography disturbs the seals and visitors were urged to only park in designated areas.

Trust staff asked people, if possible, to visit during the week. At weekends, the narrow lanes, car park and viewing area get very congested. Traffic management will be in operation on busy weekends.

Following the first arrivals on the Lincolnshire coast, people in North East Lincolnshire are being urged not to disturb any seals they may see on Cleethorpes beach over the next few weeks. Not all seals are stranded, many are simply resting, and disturbing them can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal to them.

Seal sightings are common at this time of year as the winter pups begin to move further from their breeding ground at Donna Nook and come to rest in Cleethorpes. The area between Cleethorpes Leisure Centre and Donna Nook is part of The Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve (LCCNNR), which is a special landscape that is recognised as a wildlife haven of international importance.

The newly-independent seals can happily swim up to 60 miles a day, which can take them as far as the Netherlands. If resting seals are disturbed, they can become distressed, which can damage their health and use up vital energy they need to get home. Seals are also wild animals and they can carry diseases and cause injury to people if they feel under threat. They do have a nasty bite..

As a Humber Special Area of Conservation species, seals remain protected. They only come onto land to breed, rest and digest their food. Flushing them back into the water reduces their ability to gain energy from their food and uses up energy to return to the sea. Repeated disturbance can seriously affect a seal’s energy, and a seal on the beach may have many encounters with several people over one day.

When seals are flushed into the sea, they may be injured from stampeding, gashing their bellies on rocks, tearing skin on sand or ripping out claws. Councillor Henry Hudson, NELC Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “While the young seals are still finding their way around, we are more likely to encounter them on our beach, which is their natural habitat.

“They need to be left alone to rest after a hard day’s swimming and fishing until they’re ready to return home by themselves. They can be dangerous if they feel threatened, and members of the public should keep away and please keep their dogs on leads.”

• NELC ecologists are asking members of the public to follow this advice if they encounter a seal on our beaches:

• If you spot a seal on the beach, keep your distance

• Keep or put your dog on a lead

• Don’t usher them into the water, they’ve hauled out because they need a rest from swimming

• If you see one in distress or ill, report to the Resort Team and Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue.

If you see a seal in distress, the best thing to do is call the Resort Safety Team on 01472 323356. Keep a watch from a safe distance and try to keep other people and dogs away until assistance arrives.