Aceasta este o plaja salbatica, la doar 30 km de Norwich, unde in perioada octombrie-februarie devine un magnet pentru sute de foci care vin aici pentru a se reproduce.
Imediat dupa ce focile dau nastere puilor, apar focile taur (ce au in jur de 3 m lungime si cantaresc cca 300 kg) – cele care ajuta la hranirea si protejarea mamelor si a puilor. Pe perioada aparitiei pe lume a puiutilor, accesul pe plaja este limitat la platformele special amenajate pentru vizionare, situate in dunele din apropierea plajei. Puii de foca se nasc cu blana pufoasa, dar care devine impermeabila abia dupa 3 saptamani. Acesti micuti cresc foarte rapid: cu cca 2 kg/zi (din pacate cca 40% dintre noii-nascuti mor destul de repede dupa nastere). Se pare ca jumatate dintre focile cenusii din lume traiesc in Marea Britanie si pot fi intalnite pe toata coasta North Norfolk atat pe plaje, dar si in apa, daca faceti excursii cu barcile ce pleaca de la Morston Quay si Blakeney Quay.
In orice caz, Horsey Gap este o plaja minunata in orice perioada a anului, cu nisip fin, fara facilitate fiind una salbatica, dar unde poti intalni si cateva ruine ale unor ziduri de aparare ramase din Al II-lea Razboi Mondial, ruine ce se regasesc peste tot in peisajul rural din Anglia de Est.
Pentru noi a fost ceva inedit, sa ne aflam la cativa metri de o colonie numeroasa de foci, si am fost extrem de incantati cand un puiut a venit foarte aproape de noi, la cca 1-2 m.
Micutul era foarte curios si tot incerca sa se apropie de oameni, iar noi foarte greu am rezistat tentatiei de a intinde mana si a-i oferi o mangaiere pufosului.
This is a wild beach, just 30 km from Norwich, where between October and February it becomes a magnet for hundreds of seals that come here to breed. Immediately after the seals give birth to the pups, the bull seals appear (which are around 3 m long and weigh approx. 300 kg) – they help feed and protect the mothers and the pups. During the birth of the pups, access to the beach is limited to the platforms specially arranged for viewing, located in the dunes near the beach. Seal pups are born with fluffy fur, but it becomes waterproof only after 3 weeks. These little ones grow very fast: by approx. 2 kg/day (unfortunately approx. 40% of newborns die quite quickly after birth). It seems that half of the gray seals in the world live in Great Britain and can be found all along the North Norfolk Coast, on the beaches and in the water if you take boat trips from Morston Quay and Blakeney Quay.
In any case, Horsey Gap is a wonderful beach at any time of the year, with fine sand, without facilities being a wild one, but where you can also meet some ruins of defense walls left from the Second World War, ruins which are found everywhere in the East of England countryside.
For us it was something new, to be a few meters from a numerous colony of seals, and we were extremely delighted when a pup came very close to us, about 1-2 m. The little one was very curious and tried to approach people, and we were very tempted to give him a pet.