Baby seal spotted at Felixstowe beach near Jacob's Ladder

At about midday on Friday last week, a walker spotted a dark figure in the distance of Felixstowe Beach near Jacob's Ladder.

Alex Luttrell spotted the animal lying on the beach (Image: Alex Luttrell) Alex Luttrell, from Felixstowe, then realised that the mysterious animal was a baby seal and decided to take a picture to warn local dog walkers.

The seal then spent some time relaxing on the sand before returning safely back into the water, Mrs Luttrell said.

This comes after Suffolk's first grey seal colony was established at Orford Ness earlier this year with hundreds of the mammals making the beach their home.

After spending some time on the beach, the seal went back into the water (Image: Alex Luttrell) Grey seals typically spend around two-thirds of their lives at sea.

However, during pupping season, which typically runs from October to March, female seals come ashore to give birth and raise their young.

Grey seal global numbers are currently estimated to be about 300,000 and British and Irish waters currently support around 40% of their population.

Colonies are generally located in areas with minimal human disturbance, such as in Orford Ness, which is closed to visitors in the winter months.