North Sea: the birth boom among seals

These are their first cries, their first fin strokes. baby sealswith still white fur, born just a few hours ago. The beach of the German island ofHeligolandin the North Sea, is at the start of 2022 an open-air maternity hospital. For two months, already 700 baby seals have been there borna record, under the amazed gaze of tourists. The baby seals cannot swim yet, they must first go from 12 kilos at birth, to 50 kilos, at the rate of 1.5 kilos more per day.

And if more and more female seals come to give birth on the island, it’s because we leave them alone. In fact, it is forbidden to approach them too closely. Infrastructures have been created to keep them at a distance. In a few weeks, the baby seals ofHeligoland will be able to follow their parents in the water and take their first swim in the North Sea.