PHOTO SPECIAL – SUN-BATHING SEAL ON THE THAMES TODAY
Early morning rowing teams gasped with surprise and their oars were thrown into disarray and seagulls kept a respectable distance as a large adult male grey seal took centre-stage on a pontoon near Hampton Sailing Club on the Thames today.
The large creature was perched on the end of the pontoon, attached to the sailing club, looking across the rover, occasionally stretching its head upwards to survey the river traffic and attracting much attention from both side of the river bank.
According to witnesses the seal had been in the same position for several hours and possibly overnight and had made its way up the river from the Thames estuary, through Richmond, Twickenham and negotiating Teddington Lock.
The Teddington lock keeper said: “He’s quite a familiar figure at this time of year, he’s not phased by the lock and somehow gets through the rollers to continue his journey up river.”
Both grey and harbour seals are an increasingly familiar sight in the river and they rely on a highly developed sense of vision and hearing to catch fish like eels and flatfish, flounder, bass and grey mullet and their whiskers can detect fish movement from 100 metres away.
Experts warn people to keep their distance as their bite can be dangerous and to keep dogs well away.
PHOTO SPECIAL COURTESY OF STUART HIGGINS AND MATT HUNT
