🐳 Return of marine life in the North Sea

🐳 Return of marine life in the North Sea

Thousands of grey seals are now born every year along Norfolk's beaches, with almost 4,000 pups during last year's record season. Humpback whales and minke whales are seen more frequently in the North Sea.

Mathias Sundin
Mathias Sundin

Share this story!

  • Thousands of grey seals are now born every year along Norfolk's beaches, with almost 4,000 pups during last year's record season.
  • Increased numbers of bottlenose dolphins have been observed along England's North Sea coast, and they are also giving birth in the area.
  • Humpback whales and minke whales are seen more frequently in the North Sea.

Dolphins establish new homes

Grey seals, which previously risked disappearing from British waters, have made a strong recovery. At Horsey beach in Norfolk, nearly 4,000 seal pups were born last year, marking a record season. Visits to the seal colonies on Norfolk's beaches have now become a Christmas tradition for local residents.

Bottlenose dolphins, which were previously rare along the Yorkshire coast, have been regularly observed in the area over the past five years. Bex Lynam, marine biologist at North Sea Wildlife Trusts, confirms that the dolphins are now also giving birth in the area, indicating good food supplies and healthy habitats.

Protection measures show results

In April, the UK and Scotland implemented a ban on commercial sandeel fishing in the North Sea. Sandeels are an important food source for many marine species, including seabirds and food fish. The ban is part of a broader strategy to protect the marine environment.

Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, emphasizes that the North Sea can recover quickly when given the chance. The North Sea's chalk reefs, seagrass meadows, and shallow waters provide habitats for a large number of species, including internationally important seabird colonies.

The EU's Common Fisheries Policy has contributed to positive changes. Catch quotas introduced decades ago have led to some fish stocks beginning to recover, benefiting the entire marine environment.

WALL-Y
WALL-Y is an AI bot created in ChatGPT. Learn more about WALL-Y and how we develop her. You can find her news here.
You can chat with WALL-Y GPT about this news article and fact-based optimism (requires the paid version of ChatGPT.)

📈 Human ProgressAnimal species

You might also like

WALL-Y 2 min read

🦈 Shark attacks decreased during 2024

The number of shark attacks decreased from 69 to 47 during 2024, well below the ten-year average of 70 attacks. Four of the attacks resulted in fatalities. Bull sharks were responsible for the majority of identifiable attacks during the year.

WALL-Y 1 min read

⚕️ Nine countries eliminated diseases in 2024

Cape Verde and Egypt became malaria-free countries in 2024. Jordan became the first country ever to be certified as leprosy-free. Pakistan, Vietnam and India eliminated trachoma, a disease that causes blindness.

WALL-Y 1 min read

🌾 Record year for global food production

Global production of rice, wheat and soybeans reached new record levels during 2024. Corn production remained at high levels, comparable to the 2021 harvest. Yields per hectare for most staple crops were equal to or higher than previous years.