Dorset Camera Club member Helen Moore was out taking photos of the stormy weather and high tide on Saturday morning along Weymouth Beach.
However, she wasn’t expecting to get a shot of a seal sheltering from the waves near the pleasure pier.
In her post, she said: “Thank you to the two guys who were fishing up at Pleasure Pier this morning for letting me know about the seal.”
Winter is actually the perfect time to spot grey seals. The UK is home to over a third of the global grey seal population with estimates of around 120,000 – 162,000 individuals and Dorset regularly welcomes visitors.
From November to March, many seals ‘haul out’ or spend time on land on remote beaches.
Grey seals do this to pup in autumn and then moult in winter. Moulting is the process in which they shed their fur and even their whiskers and grow a new coat, like replacing a worn coat to stay warm and waterproof.
Added to this, winter storms and quieter beaches could make sightings more likely.
Remember Sammy? Conservationists don’t usually name individual animals but when studying seals, having a name can make it easier to monitor their movement, health and behaviour. This is particularly important given grey seals can live up to 35 years old.
Sammy gained a number of fans and followers that would flock to the beach to get a glimpse of him.
He joined paddleboarders and kayakers and hitched a ride on their boards, delighted beachgoers resting on the shoreline and has become quite the tourist attraction.
However, despite his friendly nature it is important that people kept their distance as with all seals as he did bite.