Grey Seal Pup

This is a rarity, a Melanistic seal pup, born with a black coat about 5 weeks ago.  Grey Seal pups are normally born with a creamy white coat, which they lose after about 7 weeks and have been weaned off their mother's milk. To see a seal born with a black coat is rare, I am told around 1 in a 100.  They still go through the same cycle of shedding their pup coat and growing a waterproof one before heading off into the sea.

 I came across this youngster today whilst on a warden duty in 50mph winds and occasional rain showers.  The seals had been driven onto the dunes by the higher tide caused by the aftermath of Storm Darrah. Shot on my phone from greater than 10m distance and zoomed in/cropped.