The United Kingdom is home to around 120,000 Grey Seals, around 40% of the world’s population of these beautiful mammals.
Along the sandy beaches of Horsey Gap and Winterton in Norfolk, every winter thousands of Grey Seals come to breed, making for one of England’s most spectacular wildlife events. We hopped into my car during the second weekend of November and made the 2.5 hour trip from Milton Keynes to Norfolk to witness this for ourselves…
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About Grey Seals
The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) is one of the UK’s largest mammals. They can be seen around the coasts of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. The males are called bulls, the females cows, and the babies are pups. The seal pups are often considered the stars of the show with their big eyes and fresh fluffy white coats!
Grey Seal cows can weigh up to 250Kg, and the bulls up to 350Kg (one of many good reasons why we should watch these creatures from a safe distance!).
Between early November and late January, these fascinating animals will come onto the beaches at Horsey and Winterton for their winter mating season. They typically return to the same site year after year to give birth.
The female grey seals will suckle the pups for around three weeks before then leaving them to fend for themselves. The pups will remain on the beach for about another three weeks living off their stored fat (thanks to their mother’s breast milk). Their fluffy white coats eventually moult, leaving a brand new waterproof grey coat all ready to go into the water and teach themselves how to catch fish…
The seal colony at Horsey Gap
Grey Seals come to Horsey Gap and Winterton in Norfolk to breed in huge numbers every winter. The high dunes and flat sands are the ideal environment for the seal cows to give birth to and feed their pups.
Every winter from early November to late January, the beach becomes a safe haven for the breeding seals thanks to the hard work of the volunteer group Friends of Horsey Seals. We came in the second week of November and the beach was absolutely packed with seals, including plenty of little white fluffy ones!
The volunteers rope off the beach in order to keep the public at a safe distance to avoid disruption to the seals. From the viewing areas along the top of the dunes, you are close enough to enjoy the fantastic sights (and sounds!) of the huge numbers of seals but at enough distance to avoid disruption to the animals.
Although the view is already fantastic and you are relatively close, I highly recommend bringing binoculars and a camera with a good zoom lens to really enhance your experience.
Parking and access
There is a small car park at Horsey Gap (location below), which is at the end of a short gravel track that most cars should be able to handle (my little Mazda MX-5 managed fine). The car park is pay and display, and can take cash and card. The wardens there will direct you where to park and then where to walk up the pathway in the sand dunes to see the seals.
The viewing area is roped off to protect the seals, and it is obvious where to go (and where not to!), just follow the path along the top of the dunes and stay behind the blue ropes.
During winter along the Norfolk coast you will need to wrap up warm against the bitter East Anglian winds. A good coat is essential, as is some sturdy footwear. We were lucky to get a clear and dry early November day, but were glad to be wrapped up warm and wearing our most sensible footwear all the same.
Just near the car park there is a concrete pill box to see, a defensive structure dating from Britain’s World War 2 coastal defences.
There is a donation point for the Friends of Horsey Seals in the car park , as well as a couple of stalls selling hot drinks. A little way down the road is the 1940s themed Poppylands Tearoom which sells more refreshments. You can park at the tearoom, but there is a charge for non-customer parking.
Safety around seals
Did I mention how heavy seals can get? Remember that an adult seal is likely to be at least twice as heavy as you, has a ferocious set of teeth and can move surprisingly quickly on land if it feels the need to defend itself.
The blue ropes are there for a reason, to keep you safe and to keep the seals safe too. Always stay inside the roped off area and do not go down onto the beach. If you are taking your dog it should go without saying that the dog should be on a lead at all times.
If a human or a dog gets too close it could result in a mother seal abandoning her pup and not returning, which would lead the seal pup to starve to death.
Friends of Horsey Seals do a great job of setting up the area to enable everyone to have a fantastic and safe experience with great views of the seals.
Horsey Windpump
A very short drive (or 30 minute walk) inland, Horsey Windpump is absolutely worth a visit while you are in the vicinity. You likely drove past it on your way to the seals, so why not pay it a visit on the way back?
Note that this is a wind pump as opposed to a windmill. As we drove past on the way to the seals, I of course made the common mistake of calling it a windmill. Fascinatingly however, it turns out that the pump was used to pump away water from the broads around Horsey following the Enclosures Act of 1797. You can read about the history of the windpump in more detail here.
The windpump is staffed by some very knowledgeable National Trust staff, who welcome you on the ground floor and will talk you through the history of the pump and its role in the local area if you so desire. I was born nearby in North Walsham, and was especially interested to learn a bit of local history.
There are 61 very steep wooden steps inside which take you all the way to the top, from where you can admire sweeping views across Horsey Mere and the surrounding Norfolk Broads landscape.
On site there is a small and basic cafe with outdoor seating, serving teas, coffees, and some locally made cakes. The small ticket office is also home to a second hand bookshop.
We’d recommend a visit to Horsey Windpump after you’ve enjoyed your seal watching at Horsey Gap. Save some space on your camera’s memory after all your seal photos, and allow about an hour.
Conclusion
A visit to Horsey Gap on England’s East coast to witness the Grey Seal colony gathered on the beach during mating season is a wonderful winter day trip, and is undoubtedly one of the UK’s most enchanting nature and wildlife spectacles.
If you are staying in Norwich or visiting Norfolk in the winter months, a trip to Horsey Gap for a magical encounter with these fascinating animals is a must. Do drop in and visit the windpump while you’re in the area too.
Click here to donate to the Friends of Horsey Seals
