seal.watch / uk

United Kingdom · 2000—2026

Grey and harbour seals

Seals around the United Kingdom.

Follow public seal observations from the United Kingdom. Browse published records, explore the places and stories behind them, or share an encounter with the Seal Watch team.

Meet the grey seal → · Meet the harbour seal →

Total reports
764
Latest observation

Public reports · newest first

Public records archive

2 September 2017—7 August 2025

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2 of 764 reports

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All areas

Markers represent named areas, never exact sighting positions. Circle size reflects report counts; numbers match the area list. Select an area to filter the archive.

398 of 764 reports mapped · 27 areas

N ↑Shetland, Scotland · 2 reports1Caithness, Scotland · 1 report2Peterhead · 1 report3Aberdeenshire · 3 reports4Highland, Scotland · 4 reports5Argyll and Bute, Scotland · 1 report6Oban North and Lorn Ward · 1 report7East Lothian, Scotland · 1 report8Great Cumbrae Island · 2 reports9County Antrim, Northern Ireland · 3 reports10Northumberland, England · 3 reports11Seaton Sluice · 1 report12County Down, Northern Ireland · 1 report13Scarborough · 1 report14Lincolnshire, England · 5 reports15North Somercotes · 1 report16Merseyside, England · 1 report17Conwy, Wales · 1 report18Gwynedd, Wales · 1 report19Great Yarmouth coast · 1 report20Norfolk, England · 3 reports21Southend-on-Sea · 1 report22London · 259 reports23Kent, England · 2 reports24Dorset, England · 95 reports25Exeter · 1 report26Cornwall, England · 2 reports27

Scroll the map sideways to explore the whole coast.

Mapped areas North to south

  1. Shetland, Scotland2 reports
  2. Caithness, Scotland1 report
  3. Peterhead1 report
  4. Aberdeenshire3 reports
  5. Highland, Scotland4 reports
  6. Argyll and Bute, Scotland1 report
  7. Oban North and Lorn Ward1 report
  8. East Lothian, Scotland1 report
  9. Great Cumbrae Island2 reports
  10. County Antrim, Northern Ireland3 reports
  11. Northumberland, England3 reports
  12. Seaton Sluice1 report
  13. County Down, Northern Ireland1 report
  14. Scarborough1 report
  15. Lincolnshire, England5 reports
  16. North Somercotes1 report
  17. Merseyside, England1 report
  18. Conwy, Wales1 report
  19. Gwynedd, Wales1 report
  20. Great Yarmouth coast1 report
  21. Norfolk, England3 reports
  22. Southend-on-Sea1 report
  23. London259 reports
  24. Kent, England2 reports
  25. Dorset, England95 reports
  26. Exeter1 report
  27. Cornwall, England2 reports

Areas without one map point

Broad country and coast labels, and places without a reviewed reference, remain filterable here.

Map: Natural Earth.

Reports over time

Select a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.

  1. 12017
  2. 12025

Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.

  1. Brighton beach by Brighton West Pier Brighton and Hove, England
    Fern The Independent, 19 August 2025 — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/seal-pup-brighton-beach-rescue-rspca-b2809686.html

    A motionless seal pup was found on the beach and later taken into care; the rescuers named the pup Fern. Harbour seal · 1 seal

  2. Near Brighton Pier, just west of Palace Pier Brighton and Hove, England
    Unidentified RNLI Brighton, 4 September 2017 — https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/september/04/brighton-rnli-lifeboat-tasked-to-help-baby-seal

    A seal pup was seen struggling to swim near the pier and was assisted by swimming-club members and responders. Species not recorded · 1 seal