Monday 12 October 2009

Common seal sightings

I have just received two common seal sightings from last Friday, both inland. The first was reported on the river Arun near Pulborough (West Sussex). The second was reported near Alfriston on the River Ouse (East Sussex).

As you may know from earlier blog entries, its not uncommon for common seals to swim up river, especially the Ouse and the Arun. Its thought that these seals travel up river following fish. Unlike whales and dolphins, seals are quite happy up river, being able to haul out from time to time and rarely get into trouble.

A common seal was also seen just outside the Brighton Marina in East Sussex last Saturday 10th October.

4 comments:

Gareth said...

Hi there - I was Stand up Paddleboarding off the Widewater on Shoreham beach this morning when I spotted a Seal - never seen one off here before in thirty years of water activities. It even grabbed my leash and tried swimming off with it!

This was around 0800 and it was twenty metres off the beach. Size wise I guess a small Labrador would be similar maybe a Lab would be longer though. It seemed very curious of me indeed.

I feel very privileged to have seen it!

Molly said...

I saw a Common Seal in the Ouse today (2nd January 2010) at Lewes, right by the moorings. The tide had just turned, and I guessed it had come up-river on the incoming tide, maybe following a shoal of fish, and was possibly a little bemused when the flow of the water reversed direction!

I'm accustomed to seeing seals in various other parts of the British Isles, so I am 100% confident of the identification; but this is the first seal I have ever seen in or around Sussex.

Unknown said...

Common Seal just spotted in River Ouse by Newhaven Swing Bridge swallowing a fish (18-2-2010)

Gav said...

I was walking along the riverbank at Southease, just past the old swing bridge and saw a seal in the middle of the River. He watched me and my son for about 10 minutes, occasionally going under and resurfacing further along the river back. He seemed to be following us as we walked along. I returned to the same spot later with the rest of my family and he resurfaced. It was great to see one of these animals in the wild, but looking at other posts it doesn't seem that rare!