There's a colony of Common and Grey seals who frequent the Moray coast of Portgordon Beach. I'd lived in Moray for over 20 years without knowing they were there, even though they're a huge tourist attraction and very easy to spot.

They're fairly unfazed by human presence, as the locals continue to visit the beach and walk their dogs, however, they are obviously wary and keep an eye on you, so they can go back into the sea if you get too close. 

They're amazing to watch, we stayed for a good few hours just observing them as well as getting photos. When we first arrived there was quite a crowd gathered to watch, so we ended up walking slightly further down the beach to get privacy. There were obviously a few groups of tourists who'd stopped to see them, and who seemed a lot braver than the locals about getting close to the seals on the rocks and edge of the sea. 

I'm so grateful that I got to see them again this year, and I plan to go back again next summer. They're so cute and funny to watch, and we're so lucky that we have such a big colony so close to us. I highly recommend trying to spot them if you're in the area, but be careful not to get too close and cause them distress, and try to go as early as possible to avoid big tourist crowds.

BEHIND THE SCENES