First grey seal pup born as peak season looms large at Donna Nook
The first grey seal pup of 2026 has been born as peak pupping season fast approaches at the Donna Nook coastal reserve.
Nature Lincolnshire, a company that offers nature walks, birding holidays, wildlife photography and other themed events, reports that the birth took place on Saturday, October 24 at the reserve, which stretches from Gainthorpe Haven to Saltfleet.
As of Sunday, there were 28 bulls, 147 cows and ten pups visible from the designated, fenced-off viewing area, including one pup very close to the volunteers’ hut.
But visitors are advised by Nature Lincolnshire that the numbers of seals should rise quickly over the next week or two when pupping season reaches its peak.
By early December, many pups will be larger and plumper, while others begin to leave. And by January, the seal numbers will decrease significantly as the colony disperses.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Donna Nook, which is managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, is one of the best places to witness this incredible wildlife spectacle.
"At the peak of the season, the colony can include more than 2,000 pups, 1,500 females (cows) and 500 males (bulls).
"Grey seal pups are born with beautiful, fluffy white coats. They remain on land while they feed on their mothers’ rich milk, gaining weight rapidly before eventually heading out to sea."
Every year, grey seals come to Donna Nook, which covers 6.25 miles of coastline and borders the Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe national nature reserve, to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes.
Nature Lincolnshire says grey seals are larger than common seals, reaching up to 2.6 metres (eight feet, 6.3 inches) in length and weighing as much as 300 kg (47 stones, three pounds).
The spokesman added: “The UK is home to 120,000 of them, which equates to 40 per cent of the world’s population, so the Lincolnshire coastline is particularly important for this remarkable marine mammal.
"If you visit Donna Nook, please keep to the viewing areas, follow the wardens’ advice and never approach or disturb the seals. Give mums and pups plenty of space to stay safe.”
During the 2025 season, a total of 1,924 pups were born, which was up by 275, or 16.6 per cent, on the previous year when there was a significant but unexplained decrease.