Grey Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seals and Sea Lions · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Grey seal pups quadruple their birth weight in just 18 days, thanks to milk that can be up to 60 % fat.
2. Grey seals clap their flippers underwater to signal each other. The claps may deter predators or attract mates.
3. A grey seal mother eats nothing while nursing her pup and can lose up to 40% of her weight each breeding season.
4. The world's biggest grey seal rookery is on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. About 76,600 pups were born there in 2021.
5. In the eastern Atlantic, males grow up to 2.3 m long and 310 kg. Females are much smaller, up to about 1.95 m and 190 kg.

The quiz

1. How fast do grey seal pups quadruple their birth weight?

• In 6 months
• In 18 days (correct)
• In 1 year
• In 2 days

They quadruple their birth weight in just 18 days.

2. How do grey seals signal each other underwater?

• By blowing bubbles
• By slapping their tails
• By singing
• By clapping their flippers (correct)

They clap their flippers underwater to signal each other.

3. How much of their own weight can nursing mothers lose?

• Up to 40 % (correct)
• Up to 4 %
• Up to 80 %
• None at all

Mothers eat nothing while nursing and can lose up to 40% of their weight.

4. Where is the world's biggest grey seal rookery?

• Orkney, Scotland
• Iceland
• Sable Island, Nova Scotia (correct)
• Cape Cod

The biggest rookery is on Sable Island, Nova Scotia.

5. In the eastern Atlantic, how heavy can a male grey seal get?

• As much as 31 kg
• As much as 310 kg (correct)
• As much as 1,310 kg
• As much as 190 kg

In the eastern Atlantic, males weigh up to 310 kg.

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