After looking at this adorable gray seal pup you may be surprised to learn that its Latin name translates to hooked-nose sea pig (or piglet, in this pup"s case). Over 110,000 gray seals, more than 35% of the world"s population, make their home in and around the coastal waters of the British Isles. As autumn approaches, pupping season begins, and fuzzy pups—like the one photographed here—can be spotted on the coasts and beaches of the eastern Atlantic. About a month after the seal pups are born, they"re abruptly weaned when their mothers return to the sea to hunt for food and find a new mate. The older pups then congregate for protection in groups called weaner pods. Within weeks they shed their thick pup fur and take to the sea to learn how to catch their own fish.
It s only Wednesday
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Penguins can t fly!
-
The wild heart of Tasmania
-
Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria
-
World Wildlife Day
-
A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
-
April Fools Day
-
A Carpathian Christmas celebration
-
Rising up from the black sand like rock gods
-
Lobster tales
-
European Day of Parks
-
Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
-
Wake up, it s Darwin Day
-
Purple flowers and Golden Week
-
A ‘city’ within Valencia
-
National Moon Day
-
Join the parade for World Elephant Day
-
Row, row, row your gondola
-
Baltic Sea, Estonia
-
Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
-
Shark Fin Cove, California
-
Great on so many levels
-
There once was a lighthouse from...
-
Mountains fit for a queen
-
Springtime in the Mediterranean
-
Glastonbury Festival begins
-
Night of the ‘Cold Moon’
-
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
-
For Hispanic Heritage Month: Out of Many, One
-
Spring comes to the Palouse
-
High alpine color in Colorado