Pupping season is well under way in Norfolk as the first grey seal pups have been born - with around 4,500 more expected to come.
Blakeney Point has become a hotspot for the largest seal colony in England and many visitors venture to the National Trust site to see the seals before pupping season ends in mid-January.
The colony has grown dramatically in the past 20 years from just 25 seal births in 2001 to around 4,500 anticipated for 2023.
READ MORE: Baby seals spotted having a snooze on Norfolk coast
Blakeney Point offers an abundance of fish for the seals to eat and the National Trust ensures the beach is a safe environment in the lead-up to pupping-season.
From around September, volunteers help to clean the beach of any washed-up plastics for a two-mile stretch of beach.
Duncan Halpin, ranger for the National Trust, said: "The grey seal colony is in the early stages of becoming established for this year and we are looking forward to following the progress of the colony, and its new pups, this winter.
“Over the coming months, Blakeney Point will be carpeted in grey seals, as something in the region of 4,500 cow seals come ashore to have their pups.
“It’s a breathtaking sight and is testimony to the potential of our marine life to thrive when the right conditions, and protection from disturbance, are in place.”
How to view the seals
The best way to see the colony at Blakeney Point is by boat and the tour operators are based at Morston Quay. Tickets for the boat tours can be booked in advance to avoid missing a place.
The other way to view the seals is by walking from Cley beach. This is a six-mile round trip on a beach of pebbles and a protective cordon is in place to stop how close visitors can get.
For the best experience on foot, visitors should wrap up warm and bring a pair of binoculars.
To prevent disturbance to the seals, visitors with dogs are no longer permitted to walk the full length of Blakeney Point during pupping season.
*All images supplied by Hanne Siebers/National Trust
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here