A SLIPPERY CUSTOMER; EXCLUSIVE Seals find way to get up Lagan.

Byline: BY LAURA ARMSTRONG

THIS is one of the cheeky seals that are staging their own Great Escape over the River Lagan weir.

Amazed passers-by spotted the bold creature flopping across the Stranmillis weir after swimming upstream.

And after scaling the boundary Steve McQueen-style, the unlikely copycat floated peacefully off.

The grey Atlantic breed was the latest of a gang of seals on the Lagan to have discovered the neat trick.

While the friendly mammals are a common sight on the river, until recently they have been held back by the fierce waterfall.

But now waters upstream have also been given the seal of approval, after the nifty creatures found a way around the problem.

Judith Caldwell, from the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, said: "People have seen them getting themselves back around the weir, a seal can move quite well when the notion takes it.

"We have had reports from people in office blocks over the Lagan of seals on the sea side of the weir for years but this is the first time they have gone so far upstream.

"Members of the public who have spotted them have said they are not in any distress and they seem very relaxed".

Judith said that the friendly creatures are tempted upstream in the pursuit of rich food supplies.

She said: "Seals go where there is fish. They follow the food upstream.

"And with the Lagan having a better quality of water, maybe there are more fish coming back into the river.

"We don't know how many seals there are and how they are coming and going, but they seem happy.

"It's just quite unusual."

The grey seal is the larger of the two species of seal found regularly around Northern Ireland's coastline.

It is the largest mammal in the UK, with some males weighing up to 48st (300kg) - which is roughly the same as a horse.

GREY MATTER

There are 250,000 grey seals in the world and 100,000 in the UK.

Males live up to 25 years and females 35 years

CAPTION(S):

1 LAGAN LOOKOUT Hungry seal in the river hoping to find some food; 2 WHERE THERE'S A WEIR Seal pulls itself up to look upstream where next dinner could be waiting; 3 THERE'S A WAY Clever seal takes plunge and makes its way over the weir in search of more fish; 4 OVER YOU GO Crafty seal swims off hoping to find plenty of fish upstream to satisfy his appetite; CITY'S RIVERSIDE Seals are spotted around Lagan Weir