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Latin name - Halichoerus Grypus
meaning “hooked nose sea pig”
Cornish Name - Ruen
These seals are also commonly referred to as “true seals” or “earless seals”
Adult females grow to about 2m long and weigh 200 kg whereas males grow to around 2.5 m long and weigh 250kg.
You can tell the difference by their fur.
Females are generally lighter in colour than their male counterparts, females are usually silver grey / brown with dark scattered spots and males are dark grey / brown with lighter silver grey spots.
Seals are carnivores and their main diet consists of fish, squid and sand eels however they have been known to eat the odd bird too.
Atlantic grey seals can live for 25 - 30 years.
The seals can swim up to speeds of 35 kph (22mph) but usually you’ll find them doing a casual 10th (6mph).
Grey seals may look friendly and adorable but you can compare them to bears! Look but don’t touch or you’ll run the risk of being bitten as seals love to play dangerous biting games.
Grey Seal mothers haul themselves out onto the beaches between August and September on our coast to have their pups.
Did you know?…
Seals are smarter than dogs?
Hambrick a cognitive psychologist notes that Bottlenose Dolphins and Grey Seals are better at following human hand signals even tho dogs are bred to be sensitive to human communications! Wow!