Grey Seal Pupping (Lincolnshire / Orkney) — Faray and Holm of Faray

About this spectacle

On the uninhabited islands of Faray and Holm of Faray in Orkney, grey seals haul out in large numbers each autumn to give birth and nurse their pups. Visitors who make the journey by boat are rewarded with an extraordinary tableau: cream-white pups calling to their mothers, the powerful presence of large bulls patrolling territories, and the constant backdrop of wind-scoured Orcadian sea. The air carries the rich, briny scent of a working seal colony. Pups are born helpless and grow visibly over just weeks, their white lanugo coats eventually moulting to reveal sleek grey adult fur. The sense of scale — hundreds of animals across a low, green island — is unlike anything available on the mainland. Because the islands are uninhabited and rarely visited, disturbance is minimal and behaviour is largely undisturbed by human presence.

When to go

May — Nov, peak Oct — Nov

Getting there

Nearest airport: KOI. Nearest city: Kirkwall.

Booking options

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