He said: "There are two types of seal in the UK - the grey and the common or harbour seal. There has been a large increase in the grey numbers while the common seals have not done so well.

"I would guess the greys are thriving up here because there is plenty to eat and that has also helped our puffins which also had an excellent year too.

"They also benefit because the Farne Islands are isolated and they don't have any predators - I haven't seen a killer whale out there in all my 25 years on the cruises.

"Of course it is great news for businesses like ours because people visiting the islands want to see puffins and seals and they were not disappointed last year."

The Farne Islands boast one of the biggest seabird colonies in England with 23 species to be spotted, including about 37,000 puffin pairs. National Trust rangers monitor both the seals and birds, tracking and recording numbers.

Historically, the islands have strong links with Celtic Christianity and St Cuthbert, who lived there in the 7th Century.

There is also a medieval pele tower and Victorian lighthouse, plus a visitor centre and easy access boardwalk.

Many of the islands are underwater at high tide.

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Northumberland islands see record seal births