ANDY BUTLER WRITES: There are only two species of seal resident in the UK, the grey seal, halichoerus grypus (which means hook-nosed sea pig) and the harbour or common seal (phoca vitulina). Oddly, the grey seal is the commoner of the two, with the UK holding about half the global population.

But in the Solent area as a whole, the harbour seal predominates; an aerial survey of The Solent in 2017 found a total of 49 seals of which only seven were grey.

Seals are the largest land mammals found in Britain and the larger greys can grow to 2.3 metres in length and weigh in at 250kg. The harbour seal is proportionately smaller.

Obviously size helps when it comes to identifying which species is which but a certain way is to look at the nostrils if possible. The harbour seal has V-shaped nostrils and the grey has parallel nostrils. View from a safe distance when the animal is on land.

As far as the Island is concerned, seals can be seen almost anywhere when in the sea. To see them on land, Ryde Sands is one place to spot them but the most reliable site is the Newtown estuary, especially near the entrance.

Historically, seals were a great rarity round the Island with very few recorded instances but one that is accurate and well documented is mentioned by Dr Martin in his book The Undercliff of the IW published in 1849. He recounts the story of a coastguard on patrol during the night of November 15, 1848, who spotted what he thought was a body on the tideline near Shanklin Chine.

When he approached it closely, it lifted up its head and snarled at him. This quite startled the coastguard who then attacked the unfortunate seal with his cutlass and killed it. The carcass was acquired by Mr Sampson, from the Chine, who then had it stuffed and put on display for visitors to see. It was a grey seal.

For the past few years, a large male grey seal has been seen regularly off the south coast of the Island, ranging from Shanklin through to Atherfield.

It has acquired the name of Ron (as in Ronseal) and it was joined last year by a smaller, young female grey, which has been christened Ronette.

Hopefully they will appear again in the spring.