Marine Animals

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Marine Animals

Seals, Porpoise, Basking Sharks and occasionally Dolphins and Minke Whales can all be seen in the sea round Arran. The Clyde was once well stocked with fish, but sadly stocks have declined alarmingly over recent decades. An Arran organisation, the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) is at the forefront of trying to reverse this and more information can be found at www.arrancoast.com

If you should find a stranded marine animal (dead or alive), please follow this link for what to do.

Atlantic grey seal

Description

1.6 to 3 metres in length with males weighing up to 300kgs. They mostly eat squid and fish and can live up to 35 years. Grey seals are distinguished from common seals by their longer, heavier looking heads with the muzzle having a much straighter profile. Close inspection through binoculars will reveal that their nostrils form two vertical parallel lines. They are usually solitary.

When
Atlantic grey seals are resident here all year.

Where
Usually all you will see of these large mammals is their bulky heads rising up out of the water. This has been confused with the fin of a basking shark but if you wait a while it will become evident that it is a seal. They don’t spend much time hauled out on rocks but are all round the island.