For several months now, entire colonies of seals have been washing up on France's Opal Coast, on stretches of beach accessible to walkers.

Cohabitation is dangerous for the species, as humans disturb the mammals, which can then injure or abandon their pups by dispersing.

The Ligue de Protection des Animaux (LPA) shelter in Calais has collected 47 stranded pups in just three months, compared with the usual 50 to 60 per year.

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"For several years now, the LPA has been working on marine mammals, and it so happens that for several months now there has been an increase in seal populations here, on this site, with a change in the location, certainly linked to the work on the port of Calais," said Jean-Michel Charpentier, Director of the Animal Protection League shelter in Calais.

"And we currently have massive beaching of seal populations, with a major problem of disturbance linked to human activity, hiking and people walking around."

The shelter has launched projects to raise awareness about the issue and highlight it to the people who walk in this area.

"The idea is that walkers should become aware that the beach does not belong exclusively to them, it is important to know how to share," says Charpentier.

Video Editor: Nuri Moseinco