0:10:07 > 0:10:10We're in search of some of the 300 seals
0:10:10 > 0:10:13who have made this lough their home.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17We're heading for Cloughy Rocks, just south of Strangford.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21But first there's time for a short stop at an unusual local attraction.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Jen, there's such a lot of fast-running water here.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28What is this?
0:10:28 > 0:10:31This is a unique area in Strangford Lough called the Routen Wheel,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and it's basically all the water flowing in from the sea
0:10:34 > 0:10:38at high tide going against all the ridges of rock
0:10:38 > 0:10:39underneath the surface.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So you can see lots of little whirlpools,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and they all merge together in a big bubbling cauldron.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47So it can be quite violent at times,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and you wouldn't want to get caught in it without an engine.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51- You'd need a good escape route.- Yeah.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- And do all the local sailors know to avoid this area?- They do, yes.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57My dad always told me when I was younger,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59"Stay away from the Routen Wheel."
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Jen, so many seals, the length of the lough.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- Who are we looking at here? - Well, this is Cloughy Rocks.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20This is one of the best places to come and see the seals.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And we've got a couple of greys just floating around.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24The tide's starting to come up again,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26so they're starting to head back off to sea.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28What's the difference, because I know
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- there are two different types of seal here?- Yep.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We have the grey seal and the common seal in Strangford Lough.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37There's more common seals because they like the shallow inlets,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41whereas the grey seals like the more exposed coastline,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and you can tell the difference quite easily once you get your eye in.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47The grey seal has got a really long, Roman nose,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and they're absolutely huge animals,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54whereas the common seal has a little squashed puppy dog face.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- Yeah? Is there competition, then, between the two types of seal?- Yeah.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01All the animals here in the lough compete for fish,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- quite a lot of them... - They're fishing now.- Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Quite a lot of them rely on fish as their only source of food,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10so because the greys are bigger they often intimidate the commons,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13but they seem to be living in harmony at the minute.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14But we're keeping an eye on the numbers.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The common seals are breeding at the minute.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20They're summer breeders, so if you see a little group of commons
0:12:20 > 0:12:23you'll often see the pups dotted in amongst the adults.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And then whenever the tide comes back up, like now,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29the adult seals go out to sea to catch fish,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and then they'll come back periodically
0:12:31 > 0:12:34to feed the pups the sticky milk that they have.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Are they good mums and dads? - They're...
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Well, the dads aren't so good, I must admit!
0:12:39 > 0:12:42But the mums definitely tend very well to their young,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44and they'll wean them for a few weeks
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and then they'll start eating their own fish.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49So the commons are quite independent.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52But the greys are born with the furry coat in the winter,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56to keep them warm, so it takes them a little bit longer to be weaned.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59They're having a lot of fun out there, big splashes behind me.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01And so curious, following us.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04And I heard calls, too, earlier. They make a very strange noise.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Yeah, especially the greys.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09They sound a bit like a cow mooing in the distance.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13But the greys are particularly more loud than the commons would be.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Yeah. They are great entertainment,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and we've got the luxury of seeing it from a boat today,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20but the road's just over there, anyone can come and see this.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Yeah, definitely.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Because the rocks here are so close to the road,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- you can simply just park you car. - Big splash!- Yeah.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29He's making a scene.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32You can just park your car in one of the lay-bys or the car parks,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35get your binoculars out, and you can listen and look at them.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Do they occasionally leave the lough?
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Yes, we did a project a few years ago
0:13:39 > 0:13:43where we tagged a couple of the seals, and we found out
0:13:43 > 0:13:45that a few of the rogues go down to Dublin for the day,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48or some of them go over to Scotland.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50So although we have a sort of steady number here,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53we don't know if it's exactly the same seals.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56But as long as we keep the general numbers up we're OK.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Spot of shopping and a pint, maybe? - Yep!
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- THEY LAUGH - Who could blame them?