Celebrating New Year with a surprise! Another white coat pup
The New Year saw the birth of yet another seal pup.
This seal pup is extraordinary for 2 reasons:-
- This is the first pup Seal Group members have seen in January, meaning white coat pups have been observed in this area during 8 different months of the year. Pup free months have been February, March, April and July.
- This is the first pup to be born to a female that has been previously identified by Seal Group members. Mum (S31 '2 Swirls') is a beautifully marked female who was first identified on 17/11/2001 and has been observed 10 times since then, mostly during the Winter and Spring seasons.
First observed by Terry on New Year's Day at dusk, Pup 2005A was born in the east cave. By the morning of 2nd January, the pup had made its way to the other side of the beach into the horseshoe area. Ridiculously active, the young pup was then seen to explore this half of the beach before returning the the east bay and finding a snoozing spot behind a big boulder. The pup was observed for almost 4 hours before Mum finally emerged from the sea. With numerous human onlookers visible on the cliff top, Mum appeared nervous and reluctant to leave the safety of the water's edge, so the pup was forced to haul down to her. After recognising its Mum by smell, the pup then made several amusing attempts to suckle - first at its Mum's neck, then behind her fore flipper, before finally locking on for a good feed.
S31 '2 Swirls' recognises her pup
Pup 2005A finally gets to feed