Common Seal

This is an image of a Common Seal, they are the smaller of the two UK seal species. Common seals are also known as harbour seals, despite being called "Common", they are actually less common than grey seals! 

When not at sea, common seals are found around sheltered shores and estuaries, where they haul out on sandbanks and beaches. When out of the water, they sometimes hold their body in a curved banana position, with their head and tail both in the air at the same time. Like grey seals, they feed on fish, but also eat squid, whelks, crabs and mussels. Common seal pups are born during the summer and can swim when they are only a few hours old! 

I used to work away in Essex a lot and during my downtime there I got to know the local wildlife very well. I would often walk along the beach close to Southend-on-sea and look out for photographic opportunities. This picture of the Common Seal was taken off the end of the long pier there. I took the train to the end of the pier mainly to visit the lifeboat station and to have a look around, I did not expect to see any large mammals there! There were several seals floating by the edge of the pier, they seemed very curious as to what we were all doing up there.