Wildlife

Common Seal Pup Welfare in UK Waters

Common seals give birth in June and July and pups can swim within hours of birth, with welfare challenges from disturbance, disease and boat traffic.

Key Facts

Common seal pups are born with their adult coat ready to swim within hours
UK common seal population declined significantly during phocine distemper virus outbreaks
They breed on sandbanks, estuaries and low-lying rocky shores
Mother-pup bonding is disrupted by human disturbance leading to abandonment
Common seals use regular haul-out sites that can become habituated to human presence

Welfare Considerations

Common seal pup welfare is threatened by disturbance during the early bonding period. Unlike grey seals, common seal pups can swim but depend on close maternal contact for the first weeks. Disturbance by kayakers, boats and beach users can permanently separate mother and pup. Phocine distemper virus outbreaks cause mass mortality events with severe individual welfare impacts. Boat strike injuries are increasingly common near popular seal sites.

What You Can Do

Maintain minimum 100m distance from common seal haul-out sites
Reduce boat speed near known seal areas especially during June-July pupping season
Participate in seal monitoring schemes run by the Sea Mammal Research Unit
Support disease surveillance programmes monitoring common seal health
Advocate for marine protection areas around key common seal breeding sites