Central in the life of a ‘Wadden Sea Seal’ are the sandbanks that fall dry during the low tide. Seals use the sandbanks a lot, especially in the summer months. This is partly due to the fact that there are many more seals in the Wadden Sea in the summer than in the winter. Seals tend to stay in the Wadden Sea area longer when it’s warm. In the summer they lie on the sandbanks at low tide. There, they can rest and lie in the sun. Sunlight produces vitamin D in the skin, which they need for the moulting process. The sun also warms the seal’s skin. This increases the circulation, which also speeds up the moulting process.
The dry sandbanks are of great importance to the reproduction. Young seals are born on the sandbanks and nursed there. Pregnant females make sure they give birth at low tide. A baby seal must be able to swim within hours of its birth, because the sandbank will flood with the next high tide. The common seal is a solitary animal. However, seals rest in groups, usually on the lee side of the sandbanks in a place where the water just off the sandbank is immediately deep. In a group there will always be some animals on the lookout and danger is discovered in time. The Wadden Sea is an exceptional tidal area and the seals have adapted their lives to its circumstances.
How does a seal survive in the Wadden Sea?
