Typically, birthing animals like to hide away in a den or nest, and even those that give birth in the open might still find a quiet spot to bring new life into the world. While this is understandable, monitoring populations can become harder when the wildlife is actively hiding from you. Fortunately, volunteers managed to capture drone footage of a grey seal pup being born in a location that is notoriously difficult to monitor. 

The Calf of Man is a small, uninhabited island off the coast of the Isle Of Man, which sits between Great Britain and Ireland. It is an important site for Atlantic gray seals (Halichoerus grypus), as they often haul out on the beaches and rocky coves to give birth. 

One of these areas is Smugglers Cave which, as the Manx Wildlife Trust explains on its Facebook page, is “traditionally a very difficult location to monitor. Not only because the site consists of two long caves but also because viewing inside meant the team had to sit precariously on the cliff edge.”

Grey seals are relatively common mammals around the coast of the UK and the Isle of Man. Females reach breeding age at around 5 to 6 years old and typically have one pup between September and December. 

Unlike the mottled grey adults, grey seal pups have fluffy white coats when they are born. The pups feed on their mother’s milk, which is extremely high in fat; this helps the pups to grow and put on 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of weight every day. 

As of Thursday, September 26, the Manx Wildlife Trust has seen 25 seal cubs born on the Calf this season. The team is even launching a competition to name the newest arrival, but has also urged people to give the seals space and respect when wildlife watching. While the seals are carefully monitored by the volunteers, it is an offense under the Wildlife Act to disturb a seal.