Seal Species Interaction.

**Seabird** · 31-Oct-09, 23:04

Common Seals and a Grey Bull Seal.

The Common Seal then bit the Grey Bull Sea.

Colin

**unicorn** · 01-Nov-09, 01:34

Lovely pictures, what a massive size difference

**Kevin Milkins** · 02-Nov-09, 05:15

Nice photos Colin, what would have been the bull seals intention and do they get along, side by side?

**Bilge rat** · 02-Nov-09, 08:01

He looks to be a fairly young bull and may have been chased away from a grey colony by the dominant male as it is now the mating season. He is probably just a bit lonely and looking for company. The two species do get on, we have kept them together during rehabilitation in the pool at the seal hospital.

Jim

**Phoenix200416** · 02-Nov-09, 22:46

I have often seen both species lying on the sand together on a beach between brora and Dunrobin Castle. They seem to tolerate each other fine. The Common seals are fiesty wee things though and won't be bullied by the bigger Grey's. Great captures, thanks for sharing!

**Seabird** · 03-Nov-09, 09:21

Originally Posted by Kevin Milkins

Nice photos Colin, what would have been the bull seals intention and do they get along, side by side?

My friend Bilge Rat is quite right in what he and others have said, they can and do seem to get on well together, and i would not dispute that. But i think there may be situations in the water that may change that behaviour.
I did see the bull attack a common in the water, but all i got on camera was a lot of splashing.
The location where i took the pictures is in the main a Common seal haul out site.
I have seen a bull in the area and also a lone Grey seal cow. A single grey seal pup was seen on the shore line during pup season over the last few years.
Bulls do hang around waiting for females to give birth at known pup sites. On this occasion i think the bull was checking to see if there was a female ready to mate.
It's possible this bull stays in the area all year and mates with the same female every year and finds very little oposition from other Bulls. But that is just my theory.