Hostile Beginnings
Towards the end of each year on the Farne Islands archipelago, hundreds of enigmatic Atlantic Grey Seals haul themselves ashore to breed, give birth and raise their pups. For the fluffy white dependants, the journey to efficient marine predators is by no means an easy one. Starting life on these rocky isles is often perilous and danger is never far away. To survive, the pups must endure the harshest winter storms, avoid being crushed by battling bulls, and quickly adapt to their unforgiving marine environment.
It’s mid-November and I find myself in the historical fishing village of Seahouses, the renowned gateway to the Farne Islands. The air is crisp and the late autumnal sun beams low in the clear skies adorning the cold North Sea swell. It’s low-season and a sense of calm presides over the village; the hustle and bustle of thronging summer days now very much a distant memory. For me, these streets are paved with my own hazy nostalgia of countless childhood visits to this characterful harbour settlement. The soundscape is reassuringly familiar and echoes with the cracks, chirrs, and pops of starlings calling from the rooftops. Rolling waves and mewing gulls draw me away from the main street and down the gently sloping bank towards the harbour where a large white catamaran waits in the dark shadow cast by the harbour wall. I am warmly welcomed aboard Serenity by skipper Andrew Douglas and together we set course towards the seemingly lifeless landmasses scattered on the horizon.
Home to one of England's largest Grey Seal breeding colonies, the Farne Island archipelago is a vitally important sanctuary for this now-protected mammal, once pushed perilously close to extinction only a century ago. Numbers of the species dropped as low as 500 in the early 20th century due to hunting - seals have historically been treated as pests by fishing communities. Thanks to remarkable conservation efforts, now over 120,000 Atlantic Grey Seals reside in UK waters. In Northumberland, the colony is estimated to be between 4000-5000 and 2.5% of pups born annually in Britain are from the Farnes. Apart from the odd killer whale, the lack of apex predators and rich fishing waters make the Northumberland Coast a perfect habitat for these large semi-aquatic marine mammals. Unlike whales and dolphins, grey seals are not fully aquatic and spend much of their time awkwardly hauled out on land and rocks above the surface where they sleep, breed and raise their young. In the water, they are masters of their domain and capable of spending over ten minutes beneath the surface. They are fast, skilled hunters and their long whiskers are adapted to sense prey up to 100 metres away.
As the boat nears the dark dolerite cliffs of Inner Farne, the pale beacon of Farne Lighthouse and her white boundary walls loom large above us. These islands, once home to hermits and lighthouse keepers, are now dedicated solely to nature and seasonal wardens tasked to protect them. Navigating the choppy waters, skipper Andrew masterfully guides the vessel around a jutting headland to a more sheltered position in Staple Sound. It’s in these calmer waters where I first catch a glimpse of whiskered faces staring up at me from the blue.
Read the full article in This Is Northumberland 2024
