Grey seals often haul out around our coastline in public and observable places and, although this is lovely to see, it is also a temptation for people to get too close. This is what is being reported to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) and Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) from its volunteers and members of the public, at the Point of Ayre and in other locations around the Island.
Under the Wildlife Act 1990 it is an offence for a person to intentionally or recklessly disturb particular wild animals, including all of our seal species.
Disturbance of a wild animal could range from deliberately causing a sleeping or resting seal to lift its head to look at you, to a panicked escape response. Depending on numbers, and up to 100 seals have been observed at the Point of Ayre, these behaviours can develop into the whole group looking up, turning towards the water, and ultimately moving rapidly into the sea to get away from the disturbance. In some places, such as a gently sloping beach, this may not be too dangerous for the animals as they rush back into the water. However, in other areas where they have hauled up on the rocks, when the tide is in, this could now be a drop of several metres down to the water or to the next rock, once the tide has receded. Such a fall may severely injure a seal, and for pregnant animals or juveniles, this may injure or kill the pup.
What if the seals go back into the water? Does it matter? Well, yes it does. They haul out to rest and digest their food. Rushing back down the beach after being disturbed interrupts their rest and digestion and uses energy. In times of limited food, animals can’t afford to waste energy as it can lead to a reduced condition and may result in them not breeding that year. They will likely remain in the water until the next high tide to haul out, using even more energy in swimming and keeping warm. During the Autumn pupping-season disturbance can be particularly dangerous as it can result in the female abandoning the pup, which will then starve.
Just as with shore birds, we also need to consider that it’s not just the single disturbance that we cause, but also the next person and the person after that. Seals and birds may be disturbed or forced to escape many times in one day, with increasing energy costs.
Our advice is that, if you want to watch the seals, then keep your distance, and always keep dogs on leads. Use binoculars to ‘get closer’ or a long lens to photograph them. Look for the early signs of disturbance and back away when you see it. Give them space and they will likely stay so you can watch them for longer. Remember that grey seals can reach 2.5m in length, weigh more than 300kg (700 lbs), move at speeds up to 20 mph on land and have powerful jaws with long teeth as well as sharp claws, so there is also a personal risk involved by getting too close.
MWT and DEFA work closely together, and with a dedicated group of island-wide volunteers, to collect information on stranded marine mammals and provide protective supervision over vulnerable pups or tired and sick adult seals. These identifiable volunteers are appropriately trained and are there to keep both seals and the public safe, so please follow their advice and direction if you meet them on the coast.
For more advice, please check out the Government’s Isle of Man Coastal Code which recommends a distance of 50m (nearly the length of 4 double decker buses); or MWT’s seal code of conduct
If you follow this simple guidance everyone can enjoy interactions with the seals and our other natural wonders! But remember, deliberate and reckless disturbance of such wild animals is a criminal offence under Section 9 of the Wildlife Act 1990, and which may result in a prosecution and a penalty fine up to £5,000.
To report a disturbance issue please contact either MWT Marine Officer, Lara Howe, at lara@mwt.im or DEFA Senior Marine Environment Officer, Peter Duncan, at peter.duncan@gov.im