A cute seal pup appears to wave out to sea as hundreds of the species gather on a tiny British island to give birth.
The young seal with fuzzy fur was pictured with a flipper raised in the air as it lay on rocks on the Isle of Man.
Experts say the shores of the island are set to become swamped with seals over the coming weeks.
Britain is home to nearly half the world’s grey seal population – and the Isle of Man will soon be overrun.
The seals head to the island for the annual birthing season and more than a dozen pups have already been born.
A large number of pregnant females lie on the rocks waiting to give birth – with this autumn expected to be a bumper year for seal births.
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Manx Wildlife Trust Marine Officer Eleanor Stone said: “There must be something in the water.
”We’ve spotted at least 50 pregnant seals readying themselves to give birth on the Isle of Man coastline this year.”
The birthing season typically runs between September and December, when pregnant females gather on the rocks surrounding the coast to raise their young.
The pups are likely to stay on the island for up to a month while they grow strong enough to head out into the sea on their own.
