In the photo to the right, the male seal is in the top right hand corner, whilst the lighter and more spotted female is in the foreground.
Male seals tend to have a darker background with few or no lighter markings. As males age they develop the characteristic roman noses after which they are named - Halichoerus Grypus (Hook nosed sea pig.) Older males also have broader, wrinkled necks and are larger than the females. Female seals generally have a light pelage, especially under their belly with darker markings. Despite these apparently quite significant differences, it is often quite hard for even an experienced seal observer to find sexing a seal at distance a tough task! Younger immature seals are even harder to sex. Young males are often a plain, mid brown colour and they may not moult into their adult coat until they are about 4 years old. Having said this, it is not unknown for adult males to moult into their adult pelage at their first moult.
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