Wild grey seal caught ‘clapping’ on camera for the first time
Grey seals are the lagest mamals which are indigenous to the UK. A full grown male weighs more than a red deer. We go to Donna Nook every year to see them on our stretch of coast. This fabulous story describes one aspect of their fascination. It tells us:
A wild grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) has been caught “clapping” on camera for the first time, making sounds that resemble “shotgun-like cracks”.
The large male was filmed striking its flippers together off the coast of the Farne Islands, near Northumberland, during the breeding season in 2017.
While captive seals can be seen clapping in zoos and aquariums, scientists say this is the first time one of their wild counterparts has been caught on camera performing the action.
While humans clap to applaud or express approval, in the case of wild grey seals , this gesture signifies quite the opposite.
Scientists believe male seals clap to demonstrate their strength, as part of an attempt to ward off competitors and attract potential mates. The action produces a “loud high-frequency noise”, sending out “a clear signal” to other males in the area.
In the video, the male seal can be seen swimming close to a female, with other males lurking nearby, before it starts clapping.
Dr Ben Burville, a researcher at the University of Newcastle, who took the footage, said: “The effect of the clap was instant and the rival males rapidly dispersed.
“The clap was incredibly loud and at first I found it hard to believe what I had seen.”