Common Seals come in all sorts of colours. These two were on the beach among a whole host of Grey Seals the other week. One was what I would call normal the other was quite orange. It’s often thought the orange individuals originate from the Thames Estuary where there is a high proportion of these individuals. The colour is thought to be derived from iron staining.
The orange animal seemed to be covered in a larger than normal share of flies so I checked him over as best I could just to see if he had any injuries that might be attracting them. He seemed to be free of any sores or cuts. Maybe it was his brighter attire the flies preferred.
Letter From Norfolk 