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

18 January—14 August

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13 of 764 reports

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Explore by area

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.

18 of 30 reports mapped · 5 areas

N ↑Great Cumbrae Island · 1 report1County Antrim, Northern Ireland · 1 report2Southend-on-Sea · 1 report3London · 2 reports4Dorset, England · 13 reports5

Scroll the map sideways to explore the whole coast.

Mapped areas North to south

  1. Great Cumbrae Island1 report
  2. County Antrim, Northern Ireland1 report
  3. Southend-on-Sea1 report
  4. London2 reports
  5. Dorset, England13 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

All dates

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

  1. 12013
  2. 192017
  3. 162018
  4. 72019
  5. 142020
  6. 62021
  7. 32022
  8. 102023
  9. 132024
  10. 62026

Months in 2024

  1. 3Jan
  2. 2Feb
  3. 0Mar
  4. 2Apr
  5. 3May
  6. 0Jun
  7. 1Jul
  8. 2Aug
  9. 0Sep
  10. 0Oct
  11. 0Nov
  12. 0Dec

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

  1. Stone Island, Poole Harbour Dorset, England
    Unidentified Studland Birder, 14 Aug 2024

    eyewitness reports a common seal on Stone Island, identified by scope. Harbour seal · 1 seal

  2. Stone Island, Poole Harbour Dorset, England
    Unidentified Studland Birder, 14 Aug 2024

    eyewitness reports a second seal in the water, identified as grey. Grey seal · 1 seal

  3. Poole Harbour Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Source describes the seal as hunting, 18:30–19:30. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  4. Off Durlston Globe Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records 2 seals at Off Durlston Globe on this date. Species not recorded · 2 seals

  5. Swanage Lifeboat Slipway Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Source notes noon and photograph. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  6. Swanage Lifeboat Slipway Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Source lists observation time as 07:00–15:00. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  7. Swanage Bay, 100m off slipway Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records one seal at Swanage Bay, 100m off slipway on this date. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  8. Tilly Whim Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records one seal at Tilly Whim on this date. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  9. Tilly Whim Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records one seal at Tilly Whim on this date. Grey seal · 1 seal

  10. Tilly Whim Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records one seal at Tilly Whim on this date. Grey seal · 1 seal

  11. Durlston Bay Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records one seal at Durlston Bay on this date. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  12. Tilly Whim Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Durlston Country Park's Latest Sightings table records one seal at Tilly Whim on this date. Species not recorded · 1 seal

  13. Ragged Rocks Dorset, England
    Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings

    Observer listed as S. Titt. Grey seal · 1 seal