Grey seals in the Baltic Sea
Chilly delivery
When autumn has turned to winter, the grey seals move out to the open Baltic. After long journeys, they reach the wide expanse of the pack ice. As February leads into March, the females haul out on the ice to give birth.
White pup
Seal pups are born with a yellow-white pelt that provides good camouflage against the ice. The mother remains with the pup for three weeks, nursing it with high-fat milk.
Mating
By the end of the nursing period, the pup's weight has increased from about 10 to 50 kilograms. At this point, it sheds its fur and grows a new coat with the colours of an adult. In the meantime, the males have hauled out on the pack ice; during the month of March, it is time for the males and females to mate.
Abandoned pup
When the nursing period is finished, the pup is abandoned by its mother. It manages on its own, living on stored fat, before finally entering the water to start hunting fish by itself.
