{"id":17407,"date":"2026-01-01T17:51:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T16:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fernwehmotive.de\/?p=17407"},"modified":"2026-01-12T19:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T18:46:26","slug":"kegelrobben-helgoland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fernwehmotive.de\/en\/kegelrobben-helgoland\/","title":{"rendered":"New Offspring in the Winter Wind \u2013 Gray Seals on Heligoland Dune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Germany.<\/strong> It is early December. The two-and-a-half-hour ferry crossing from Cuxhaven to Heligoland can be a wild ride at this time of year. But right now, something very special is attracting many nature lovers to Germany's offshore island: the birth season of the gray seals. From November to January, hundreds of gray seals are born on the flat sandy beaches of Heligoland D\u00fcne. It's a natural spectacle that is second to none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am spending three days on Heligoland to photograph the seals. I am hoping for one of those rare moments that nature photographers dream of: a birth. In the following, I will tell you about my time with the gray seals and give you lots of practical tips for your own photo trip to the seals on Heligoland D\u00fcne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New Life among the Gray Seals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The wind has a firm grip on the Heligoland dunes. Fine sand whips across the beach, drawing bright veils across the ground. The grains of sand hit me like tiny needles and crunch between my teeth. I am glad I have my safety goggles from the hardware store, which allow me to keep my eyes open without straining them. My gaze and my camera are fixed on a large gray seal that is behaving conspicuously nervously, not far from the barrier fence. After a few minutes of sand exfoliation, my suspicion is confirmed: her abdomen reveals a bulging red amniotic sac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The female turns awkwardly onto her side, first one way, then the other. She bends like a banana, turns in circles, and tries to push the amniotic sac further out. The surrounding seals raise their heads, unimpressed. The offspring takes its time. For about 15 minutes, it hangs halfway out in the fresh North Sea wind of 7 Beaufort, while its mother twists and turns, bends and rolls in circles. All without making a sound, less than two meters away from the mobile barrier fence that separates visitors from the wild animals. All observers keep a respectful distance and watch. Also, without making a sound. Then suddenly everything happens very quickly, and a wet, yellowish bundle lies in the sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The little seal pup immediately opens its eyes and is sniffed and touched by its mother. Moments of closeness, simply beautiful to watch. Meanwhile, the crows jostle in front of the placenta before it cools down and is covered with sand. A wild feeding frenzy begins. The calf looks at the world with its big black eyes, somewhat irritated. Can it already see the crow right in front of it clearly? Can it see us photographers? Its first movements seem shaky, tentative. It takes a while for the little one to find the milk teats and for its fur to dry. Now it is no longer yellowish, but shows its beautiful white lanugo fur. A piece of the fresh umbilical cord still hangs from its belly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Growth in Record Time \u2013 From a white Ball of Fur to Germany's Largest Predator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seal pups are born weighing around 10 to 14 kilograms. Due to the fat content of their milk, which is more than 50 percent, the pups gain up to two kilograms per day and soon develop a thick, white layer of blubber. Some mothers stay with their calves permanently, while others leave their young alone for a few hours to go fishing. When the calves are weaned after 15 to 21 days, they are on their own. About ten days after weaning, their fur changes, and the white woolly coat is replaced by a swimming coat. Then come the first attempts at swimming, and the young seal begins to hunt instinctively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the beach, I see young animals that are only a few days old and others that have already become little rolls of blubber. They seem extremely clumsy on land, but are already very curious. They explore with their snouts, feel their way with their highly sensitive whiskers, and turn their heads toward every new sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grey seals belong to the family of dog seals. Their range extends from Norway to the East Coast of America. The animals that come to Heligoland belong to the eastern North Sea population. They are the largest predators in Germany:<\/p>\n\n\n\n