0:00:21 > 0:00:23It's our final show
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and we're back at Lulworth Cove
0:00:25 > 0:00:27on the spectacular Dorset coastline.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Today, we'll be both in and out of the water, getting to know
0:00:31 > 0:00:36one of our most charismatic marine mammals, the seal.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39They're found dotted all along our coastline, and unlike whales
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and dolphins, they're happy to spend time on dry land,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44which means there's plenty of opportunities to
0:00:44 > 0:00:47get out there and spot one.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51SEAL BARKS 'Later, I'll be helping an injured youngster back into the wild.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Oh! Off he goes, heading straight back into the sea.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56He knows what to do for sure.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'I'll be diving in for an unforgettable close encounter.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:02One was just nibbling my fins
0:01:02 > 0:01:05while the other was trying to steal my camera. It was like a cunning double act.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12'All week, we've been catching up with our roving wildlife cameraman, Richard Taylor-Jones,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15'and today, he's following a group of common seals
0:01:15 > 0:01:17'near his home in the Thames Estuary.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Summer is their breeding season
0:01:19 > 0:01:21but I've never seen a common seal pup.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Hopefully, I will today.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28'And we'll be joined by some familiar faces, all keen to share
0:01:28 > 0:01:31'their best past encounters with our favourite marine mammal.'
0:01:33 > 0:01:35But, first, here's Richard to help us
0:01:35 > 0:01:37get to know our British seals a little better.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I've filmed a huge amount of British wildlife
0:01:43 > 0:01:45over the last 20 years
0:01:45 > 0:01:48but again and again, I return to film seals.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51There is something I can't resist about them.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00At first glance, seals seem like a fat and cumbersome beast.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But, if you watch them long enough,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11it doesn't take long to fall head over heels.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18We have two species of seal.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20The most abundant is the grey seal.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30A staggering 40% of the world population
0:02:30 > 0:02:33lives right here in the UK.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41The other type of seal we have is the common seal.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44But, in most areas of Britain, it's anything but common.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48And just to confuse things further,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51some people call it the harbour seal.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56So, how do you know it's a common seal, not a grey?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Well, it's smaller and more delicate.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04It has a distinctive heart-shaped nose
0:03:04 > 0:03:09and it can be easily distinguished by its bizarre banana pose.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Now, that doesn't look very comfortable.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Both our seals are masters of the sea.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Seeming almost playful when in their element.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Holding their breath for up to 30 minutes,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31they can dive down to the depths for fish.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35SEAGULLS CHIRP
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Life for a young seal pup can be particularly tough.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44After the relative safety of a beach-based birth,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48young seal pups are fed a rich milk which allows them
0:03:48 > 0:03:52to quadruple their body weight in just three weeks.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57It's then that their mothers abandon them...
0:03:58 > 0:04:03..leaving them to make their first steps towards the sea on their own.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13The Greater Thames Estuary stretches from the heart of London
0:04:13 > 0:04:16to my hometown of Deal on the Kent coast.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19This area is certainly not the first place you might think
0:04:19 > 0:04:20to go looking for wildlife.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Yet, in this very industrial-looking landscape,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28there is a surprising amount of flora and fauna,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and in some of the quieter nooks and crannies,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32it can be quite easy to find.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38One of those quiet places is Pegwell Bay
0:04:38 > 0:04:43and a few years ago, I discovered that common seals hauled out there.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44I spent some wonderful hours
0:04:44 > 0:04:47filming them from the river bank in the summer months,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50which is when they gather together to pup and breed.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Watching them frolic about and interacting with each other
0:04:54 > 0:04:56was so much fun.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But, despite the hours I've spent there,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03I've never clapped eyes on a common seal pup,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and this summer, I'd very much like to.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09To help me in my quest,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I'm meeting with Jo Barker from the Zoological Society of London.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Jo has been running an ongoing programme monitoring
0:05:16 > 0:05:19the common seals in the Greater Thames Estuary
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and I've joined her on a boat trip in Essex to learn more about them
0:05:23 > 0:05:25and hopefully find a pup.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Why are they doing so well, here?
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Common seals need to have places to haul out and rest
0:05:34 > 0:05:36after feeding or swimming,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40so the Thames is great because it's got a variety of intertidal sandbanks,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43so there's lots of places for the seals to haul out.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47The Thames Estuary provides a nice sheltered area for the common seals.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50The fact that they're here and that they are breeding here
0:05:50 > 0:05:52suggests that they are happy in their environment.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56So they are definitely breeding here because what I'd love to see is a common seal pup.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59What do you think our chances are today? I think they're pretty high.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Fingers crossed they will be out on the sandbanks today.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11The first thing we come across though isn't a pup,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14but a rather odd-looking rusty red seal.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Now, the reason that these seals are red
0:06:18 > 0:06:22and gingery-looking is that there is actually quite a lot of iron ore
0:06:22 > 0:06:26in the sediment here up on the mud banks, which was left
0:06:26 > 0:06:31over from a time when the Thames was even more industrial than it is now.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35And that iron ore pigment just stains the animals.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38It is quite an unusual sight though.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Whilst I've got my eye on the red seals,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Jo has spotted what I've come to see.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48There is a little one right at the front. You have found a pup, have you?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51There's this little guy right on the edge here.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58They're pretty big, aren't they? How old are these pups?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I would say they are a couple of weeks old now.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03The common seals breed at the end of June.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06They are born just under a metre long
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and they have been growing over the last few weeks.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14It's just absolutely lovely to be seeing common seal pups.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The little guy is sliding about. They are sliding about. I'll try and get some shots of him.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30They are very capable in the water, aren't they? Even at this young age.
0:07:30 > 0:07:38Yes. They are born ready to swim, essentially.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02What do you think the future is for this Thames population,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06bearing in mind what you are beginning to learn about them?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I think we have real potential for this population to grow.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13As fish stocks are getting a bit better in the Thames
0:08:13 > 0:08:16there will be more resources for more seals as well.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Good news on the whole for common seals. A bright future.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21A bright future. I hope so. I hope so.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Seeing common seals is always a magical experience
0:08:27 > 0:08:41and one I never tire of.
0:08:41 > 0:08:59that if we work harder to understand and protect our British wildlife,
0:08:59 > 0:09:04I can see it in your eyes.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07go to our website -
0:09:19 > 0:09:24rescuing an injured grey seal pup from the stormy Cornish coastline.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I'm here today to find out more about this pup's story
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and what's happened since this photograph was taken.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Every year, over 300 in-distress seals are rescued
0:09:36 > 0:09:41across the UK coastline by teams often made up of volunteers.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'One of the rescue team who helped the injured seal in the bag
0:09:46 > 0:09:48'is Dan Jarvis from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.'
0:09:48 > 0:09:51What's your role in this rescue?
0:09:51 > 0:09:53This particular day, we had a call
0:09:53 > 0:09:56about one of the pups down on the beach near Land's End
0:09:56 > 0:09:58so myself and a couple of other guys
0:09:58 > 0:10:01from British Divers Marine Life Rescue went down
0:10:01 > 0:10:04to have a look and see what the situation was.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And the seal in this particular bag is now in this pool
0:10:07 > 0:10:09just behind me here. He's right behind us.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10He's called Bruce Wayne -
0:10:10 > 0:10:13we have a theme for our pups' names every year,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15which is superheroes for this season,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17so we've got Bruce Wayne and we also have Lois Lane in here,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21but Bruce here, he originally was rescued with a broken jaw.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23That was actually back in October.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26He spent a few months with us here at the sanctuary.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Our vet did an amazing job wiring up his jaw
0:10:28 > 0:10:29and putting him back together again
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and he was actually released out into the wild back in January,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36but unfortunately back at the beginning of May,
0:10:36 > 0:10:37he ran into trouble again.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39He had a bit of a knock to the head
0:10:39 > 0:10:41and unfortunately he'd got an infection,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43we think a case of septicaemia,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45so he came back in for round two of rehabilitation.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47He's right as rain again now,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51but today's the day he can go back out to sea again.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54'I'll be helping Dan release the seals back to the sea
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'later on in the day, but in the meantime,
0:10:56 > 0:11:01'we need to prepare the pups' final breakfast at the sanctuary.'
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Well, because we're going to release them later today,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06we're going to give them a really minimal amount of fish
0:11:06 > 0:11:08so about five or six fish at the most, really,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11so hopefully that means later on when we release them,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13they're not just going to sit there on the beach
0:11:13 > 0:11:15digesting their fish quite happily,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17they'll actually want to go out into the water
0:11:17 > 0:11:19to find something to eat for themselves.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21That's about right, there we go.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28So we've got a few fish here for them now,
0:11:28 > 0:11:29but we need to hide from them
0:11:29 > 0:11:33because we don't want them to associate humans as a food source.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35So all you need to do is just grab your fish
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and as long as it doesn't go in any of the other pools, it's fine!
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You can throw it straight over and it's for them
0:11:41 > 0:11:44to sort themselves out now. And you can hear them go for it. You can!
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Yeah, they're really good at competing
0:11:46 > 0:11:48so this is the important part for them.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'The time has come for the seals to return home
0:11:53 > 0:11:55'and the team need to move quickly
0:11:55 > 0:11:58'to keep the pups as calm and unstressed as possible.'
0:11:58 > 0:12:00So this one's Lois, Bruce is in already.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02He's looking fine out there on the trailer.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04They're big animals, although they're only pups,
0:12:04 > 0:12:05about nine months old.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Go on, Lois, in you go.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15This is going to be a really quick move,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18they're bringing up the back of the trailer
0:12:18 > 0:12:19and that's Bruce and Lois
0:12:19 > 0:12:22both safely in the back of the truck there.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25'The release site is just a ten-minute drive away,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28'keeping the seals' time in the trailer to a minimum.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'Once at the beach, it's all hands on deck.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I've been given the responsibility of a herd board.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40OK? Here we go!
0:12:43 > 0:12:46There you go, Bruce. Off he goes!
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Heading straight back into the sea.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53He knows what to do, for sure. He really does!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Into the sea, look at him go!
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Hopefully he's just shown Lois what to do. Here she comes now.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02She's having a little think about it, she's having a sniff.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07There you go! And straight again back towards the wash.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12So, is that it for these two now, Dan, or can we keep track of them?
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Yeah, all of the seals that we release
0:13:14 > 0:13:16have a tag on one of their rear flippers
0:13:16 > 0:13:18so it means that when they're out in the wild now,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21if anyone ever spots them, they can report them back to us
0:13:21 > 0:13:23or, even better, if they get photos.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25The most important thing for us to know
0:13:25 > 0:13:27is what we're doing has been successful,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30and we have one of the most successful track records in Europe.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32I really hope you get some information back on these two
0:13:32 > 0:13:35because it's been so special to join you on the beach.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Wonderful Cornish weather as they go off into the sea. Thank you so much!
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Now, all of the people we've met so far clearly love seals,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52but not everybody in the UK holds them in such affection.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56In fact, for some people, seeing a seal isn't necessarily a pleasure.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's more likely to be a problem.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03In 2013, Miranda Krestovnikoff from Coast
0:14:03 > 0:14:08went to the north coast of Scotland to investigate.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10The wild lochs and rivers of Scotland -
0:14:10 > 0:14:13home of the world-famous Atlantic salmon.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17But it's not just humans who love the taste of fresh salmon.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23An adult seal eats around 5kg of fish a day
0:14:23 > 0:14:27and that's what's brought them into a head-on conflict with humans.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Between them, anglers, fishermen and commercial fish farms
0:14:31 > 0:14:34shoot hundreds of seals off the Scottish coast each year
0:14:34 > 0:14:36to protect their fish stocks.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Someone who resorts to shooting is Scottish netsman James Mackay.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45He catches wild salmon by placing nets at river mouths,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49but it's a disaster for him if a seal gets into those nets.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It's like a fox getting into a chicken coop.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56They would destroy all the fish.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58When the seal gets in, he stresses the fish
0:14:58 > 0:15:02so much that the fish become of a poor quality.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04The Scottish government passed a law
0:15:04 > 0:15:07to try and control the number of seals being shot.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Anyone killing one must now hold a licence
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and only kill as a last resort.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16But there are many who don't want to see any seals shot
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and feel the law isn't being enforced properly.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22David Ainsley is a tour boat operator who worries
0:15:22 > 0:15:24that salmon farming in the same area
0:15:24 > 0:15:27is having an adverse effect on the wildlife.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29We run a wildlife tourism business
0:15:29 > 0:15:33so we're taking people to see seals, dolphins and porpoise
0:15:33 > 0:15:38and all of them are affected unnecessarily
0:15:38 > 0:15:42by the way salmon farmers currently operate.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46He wants to see a change in working practices
0:15:46 > 0:15:48which he claims would prevent the need to shoot.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52The answer is simply to do what is already happening in Canada
0:15:52 > 0:15:58and very effective at solving the problem - you use two nets.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02You use a double layer of net, these nets are kept tensioned
0:16:02 > 0:16:07and kept separated so that the seals can't get close to the salmon
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and you don't have a problem.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Any farm which is using a single net
0:16:12 > 0:16:17and shooting seals is not shooting seals as a last resort,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20they're simply shooting seals because single nets are cheaper than
0:16:20 > 0:16:26double nets and they don't want to spend the money.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Dr John Webster from the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34He says that doubling nets would only slow the water current down
0:16:34 > 0:16:36and reduce oxygen to the fish.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39And he stresses that they ARE following the law.
0:16:39 > 0:16:45The first line of defence is to prevent the seal
0:16:45 > 0:16:47And only when those methods don't work
0:16:47 > 0:17:01do we resort to shooting under licence.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03It's not going to eat them all, then?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06What they tend to do is take a single bite out of each fish,
0:17:06 > 0:17:06out of the belly, just under the throat,
0:17:06 > 0:17:15The effect on fish welfare is extraordinarily bad.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And the effect on the wellbeing of the people whose job it is
0:17:18 > 0:17:24to make sure these fish are in good order
0:17:24 > 0:17:27We're moving on, we're developing technology and new approaches,
0:17:27 > 0:17:28which we hope, in the very near future, will eliminate
0:17:28 > 0:17:32the need to shoot seals at all.
0:17:32 > 0:17:40Until the day that seals and salmon can be kept apart more effectively,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and it's an example of the ever-growing conflict
0:17:43 > 0:17:46between food production and wildlife conservation.
0:17:51 > 0:17:58quite a controversial creature.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01But seals came to these islands long before we did,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05so how have they coped with our more extreme infringements
0:18:11 > 0:18:13to discover how the seals there
0:18:13 > 0:18:15choose to live with rather noisy neighbours.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21The shore around here was my playground as a boy.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I loved to explore.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26But there's one site I never got to see.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28There's a bit of beach just out of bounds,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31where even the locals are kept at bay.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35SHEEP BLEAT
0:18:42 > 0:18:45This is Tain, an RAF firing range,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49where bomber pilots train for war.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52For obvious reasons, the public are kept well away.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55But, during a pause in the pretend hostilities,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I've been given permission to explore this sandy battleground.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Very few people get to witness what goes on here.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04But there are eyes watching.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07On a beach over there is a big group of seals.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09PLANE ROARS
0:19:14 > 0:19:19Just half a mile away, seal pods seem relaxed enough.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23They've picked this beach to raise their pups.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26But what's the appeal of such a noisy spot?
0:19:26 > 0:19:29How can seals bear to bask under the bombers?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33To uncover the secret of this odd relationship,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I'm meeting Sean Twiss, who studies seal psychology.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43'Ironically, we are taking cover.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47'Seals seem OK with planes, but people spook them.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:48PLANE ROARS
0:19:50 > 0:19:53So, Sean, why is it they can cope with this sort of disturbance?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Well, a classic example there,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57not even any head up in response to that.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It happens so often, it doesn't pose a threat to them.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Why waste your energy responding to something
0:20:02 > 0:20:04if it's not a threat to you?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Do you think the bombing helps, cos it keeps people away from the beach?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Certainly. I mean, because people are effectively excluded
0:20:11 > 0:20:13from this beach, there's none of that real threat to the seals
0:20:13 > 0:20:16of people casually walking down here with their dogs,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19so that's one of the reasons why they like to haul out.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23We're more of a threat to them, as individual human beings
0:20:23 > 0:20:25walking down this beach, than any amount of aeroplanes.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Nearby RAF Lossiemouth is the base for the bombers.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I'm here to meet Flight Commander Brian James.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41ROARING
0:20:41 > 0:20:44We drop small munitions, which are practice bombs,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46to minimise the effect on the environment.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48So, although it has the same flight characteristics
0:20:48 > 0:20:51of our larger weapons, it has a very small charge.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53And the charge is only used to put out a puff of smoke
0:20:53 > 0:20:56on the range, so you can actually see where the weapon went.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58If we do drop the larger weapons, because we need to practise
0:20:58 > 0:21:01handling the aeroplane with the sort of weight the weapons are,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04then they are concrete, so they have no explosive charge,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06again, minimising the effect on the environment.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Do you think the seals are bothered by what you do?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I don't think they are, to be honest.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12They seem to lie there, yawning and scratching themselves.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15I think they're quite used to us now.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21But this placid bunch wouldn't let me get near on foot.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24SEALS WAIL So...the only way is up.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33The bird's-eye view confirms the colony prefers planes to people.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37This is a popular spot.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40There's a good few hundred seals on the beach below us now.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42You can see the patches where they've been basking
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and the trails they've left as they've crawled out of the sea.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Maybe these are the most laid-back seals in Britain.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Or perhaps they'd rather have the noise
0:21:52 > 0:21:54than share their sands with anyone else.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10There is one more gem of a place
0:22:10 > 0:22:13for watching seals that I'd like to tell you about,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16because I managed to get out there myself earlier in the summer.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Right down in the south-west of England,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23in the middle of the Bristol Channel, is the island of Lundy.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25In July, I caught a boat over there to check it out.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Lundy lies 11 miles off the north coast of Devon.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40It's an island with a split personality,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43the west side exposed to rough Atlantic currents,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47while the east is a sheltered refuge.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Cheers, John.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49'It's here that I'm landing.'
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Hi, Beccy! Hello.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53'Beccy MacDonald is the island's warden.'
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Lundy's home to an abundance of wildlife -
0:22:58 > 0:23:01sika deer, hardy ponies and stunning bird life,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04such as razorbills, guillemots and puffins.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06BIRDS CAW
0:23:06 > 0:23:09But it's the grey seals that I'm here to see.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11SEALS WAIL
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Every two weeks, Beccy does a seal population survey,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18by walking around the outer edges of the island.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20And today, I'm joining her.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25What makes Lundy such a special place for seals?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28You've got the unique remoteness of the island,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30so they don't really get any problems over here,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32so they go relatively undisturbed.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35There's plenty of space for them, in terms of sea caves.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Lots of haul-out spots. But also, there's plenty of food here.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45'Beccy takes me along the dramatic east coast,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48'until we spot our first seals.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:49And if you have a look down there,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52we've already got two females hauled out. Oh, yes. Fantastic.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57The one on the left is looking quite pregnant. Brilliant.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59They just bob in the water, like a bottle would.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02They do that when they're sleeping, or it could just be
0:24:02 > 0:24:05when they're resting, trying to digest food. They can also digest
0:24:05 > 0:24:08food when they've just hauled out on the rocks as well.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09How many are you seeing there?
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Five females altogether. So we will pop them down. Two juveniles.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Your total is seven? Yep. What's the latest count for the whole island?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20We reckon there's about 200 to 250 seals here at any one time.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Right now, what do you think is happening with the population?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25They're pretty stable, at the minute.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27We're doing quite well. I'm quite happy with them.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34To get an idea of how the grey seals are doing countrywide,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I'm meeting Matt Carter from Plymouth University.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Matt, the Lundy seals seem to be thriving,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43but what's the story for seals all around the UK?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Well, grey seals in particular seem to be something
0:24:45 > 0:24:47of a conservation success story, really.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Before seal protection came in... SEAL WAILS
0:24:49 > 0:24:52..in 1914, we were at probably around about 1,000 animals.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55But now we certainly have a very robust population
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and we're at just over 100,000 animals.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00What are the challenges facing seals today,
0:25:00 > 0:25:01now that we no longer hunt them?
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Declining fish stocks. And then some less obvious ones.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Things like noise pollution under the ocean,
0:25:06 > 0:25:07so things like shipping noise.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10We don't really know how this might affect their behaviour.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Beccy, do the seals here in Lundy have a completely charmed life
0:25:13 > 0:25:15or do they face problems, too?
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Some of the marine plastics that we get that come in
0:25:17 > 0:25:25do cause entanglements, so we do see them around their necks
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Ooh!
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'it's because today we're hoping to swim with the seals.'
0:25:32 > 0:25:35What do you both think about humans getting in the water
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and interacting with seals? Is that an OK thing for us to do?
0:25:39 > 0:25:42I think it's important that people are aware of seals
0:25:42 > 0:25:44and are passionate about seals,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46and getting in the water with them is a fantastic way.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49But it should always be on the terms of the seal,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50so never touch a seal.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52If a seal wants to approach you, that's fine,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55but don't go chasing after it. Ah!
0:25:55 > 0:25:58'Well, I'm dying to swim with them,
0:25:58 > 0:26:06'I just don't know if they'll want to swim with me.'
0:26:11 > 0:26:29'I needn't have worried.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32They're just so unbelievably cheeky!
0:26:32 > 0:26:36And incredibly agile, they make me feel very, very clumsy in the water.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It's like they're dancing all around me.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40I really don't know where to look.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45'Once they've overcome their natural shyness,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47'seals are surprisingly tactile,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51'exploring new things with their mouths and whiskers.'
0:26:57 > 0:26:59while the other was trying to steal my camera.
0:26:59 > 0:27:05It was like a cunning double act.
0:27:05 > 0:27:19One of the most rewarding things I've ever done in the sea.
0:27:20 > 0:27:27'But when you get this close, you can't fail to realise
0:27:31 > 0:27:36that that was a truly joyous experience.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And you know, what we have here in the UK is an internationally
0:27:39 > 0:27:42important population of seals that's chosen our islands
0:27:42 > 0:27:44to make their home.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And I can't recommend getting out to meet them more highly.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Absolutely. And, you know, releasing those two seal pups
0:27:50 > 0:27:54back into the wild was such a special experience for me.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58In fact, it's been an extraordinary week altogether. It certainly has.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03We've met the biggest...
0:28:03 > 0:28:08..the fastest...
0:28:08 > 0:28:09..and the weirdest.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Every one of them a crucial part
0:28:14 > 0:28:18of the UK's extraordinary marine ecosystem.
0:28:18 > 0:28:25And, for all of us, a wonder to watch.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55I want a nice, bold stripe.
0:28:55 > 0:28:56Lace, lace, lace...
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Oh, the haberdashery is amazing.