The sea hounds of the Frisian Islands
Photographs by Jeroen Hoekendijk, text by Philip Hoare
A seal pup covered with lanugo, a protective layer of fluffy hair, stained yellow with amniotic fluid. As the pup grows, its coat will become pure white, which it will then moult and gain its final coat, with a spotted pattern unique to each animal, a helpful means of identification for researchers.
The islands’ more remote shores present relatively safe places for seals to give birth. Grey seal pups are weaned by their mothers for 19 days, then left to fend for themselves. They will live off their own blubber reserves for a similar period before entering the sea to forage for fish.
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