THE rare sight of a pair of Common Seals caught basking on river banks near Colchester has been captured on camera.

Photography enthusiast Stacey Belbin, who runs Lady Grace Boat Trips from Mersea Island, took the image which sets the creatures apart from their grey cousins.

Common seals raise their heads and tails simultaneously.

Mrs Belbin, boat skipper, said: "I was against the creeks and one of the fisherman called me and said there were seals.

"It was a very quiet day on the boat so I decided to go and have a look.

"I went and got a cup of tea and watched them.

"You can tell they are common seals because their head was up and tail was up.

"I wanted to capture that to prove what they are."

Mrs Belbin said it was unusual to see the Common variety in that area.

"We usually see them once a year, it is the prime time because it is pupping season," she added.

The common seal, also known as the harbour seal, has a wide, pronounced snout, large eyes and no external ears.

It does not have the sloping forehead of the grey seal and is described as more cat-like in appearance.

Common seals feed on a varied diet of sandeel, cod, herring, sprat, flatfish, sprat, octopus and squid.

Last November 40 pilot whales were spotted in the River Blackwater between Mersea Island and Brightlingsea.

It was the first sighting of pilot whales near the shore in East Anglia for more than 80 years.

One of the whales was later found washed up at Goldhanger after it died of starvation.

Experts believed the whales may have swum into the shallower waters to try to care for the poorly whale.

Mrs Belbin was one of the first to see the creatures.