Keep your eyes peeled if you want to seesome seals...

WILDLIFE enthusiasts are being encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for seals off the West Sussex coast, or in the River Arun.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust says anyone taking a winter walk along the coast or riverbank this month might just see the small, greyish head of a common seal popping up out of the water – they have been recorded all along the Sussex coastline and in rivers including the Arun, Adur, Cuckmere and Ouse.

Common seals are one of two species of seal that breed in the UK, the other being the grey seal.

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Dog-like in profile, common seals have a short muzzle with v-shaped nostrils and are also known as harbour seals because they like this habitat – there’s a small colony of them living in Chichester harbour and they have been seen in Littlehampton harbour from time to time.

As many Sussex rivers are tidal, it’s likely that the seals travel upstream following fish and can live happily for a week at a time before heading back to sea. One was spotted as far upstream as Pulborough on the River Arun, last year.

Another distinctive habit of the common seal is to lie on a riverbank, lifting their head and tail off the ground in a banana shape, which is thought to help regulate their temperature on land and aid digestion.

The trust welcomes reports of wildlife seen around the county, which can be made by visiting the wildlife advice pages on its website www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk and there is also an information hotline, WildCall, on 01273 494777, to raise queries with trust staff.

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