If you are in a boat or walking along the coast of Cumbria, you have a good chance of spotting a seal, as they are regulars in our waters. There are two species, the grey seal and the common or harbour seal.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust has records of grey seals on South Walney Nature Reserve from the 1980s onwards, and we have been studying them closely since May 2005. One part of the study is about counting the number of seals hauled out and in the water, distinguishing between males and females, adults and juveniles. Other surveys focus on the behaviour of the seals, the sea and climate conditions, and their reactions to any disturbance by people in boats or walking along the shore.

A new aspect to the project is trying to get photographs of individual seals, so that we can build up a portfolio of visitors and find out how often the same seals visit the area and whether they are always in the same groups. We will also be able to share these photos with other seal survey groups around the Irish Sea to see where 'our' seals are travelling to. These photographs are like mug shots - front, left and right views are ideal, but we don't make the seals hold up a board with their police number! Instead, we are able to identify the seals by the unique pattern of blotches on their head and shoulders.

These surveys have revealed some interesting results, particularly about how this haul-out site differs from others on more rocky coastlines.

Although visitors are not permitted to walk along the spit to the haul-out site, you can usually see the seals in the water, and occasionally hauled out on the sand, from The Groyne hide on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust South Walney Nature Reserve.

For information on how to tell grey and common seals apart, see our guide to distinguishing between grey and common seals.

If you would like to be kept informed about the seal project, or want to learn more about marine life off the Cumbrian Coast, contact us on  01539 816300 or by e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and ask to be included in the distribution list of the Shore to Sea newsletter.