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

7 June—28 June

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2 of 764 reports

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Explore by area

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.

1 of 2 reports mapped · 1 area

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Mapped areas North to south

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. 22000
  2. 42001
  3. 12002
  4. 12003
  5. 32005
  6. 22006
  7. 52007
  8. 12008
  9. 32009
  10. 92010
  11. 132011
  12. 72012
  13. 152013
  14. 82014
  15. 82015
  16. 92016
  17. 282017
  18. 212018
  19. 142019
  20. 212020
  21. 182021
  22. 152022
  23. 362023
  24. 302024
  25. 2482025
  26. 2422026

Months in 2020

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

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

  1. Date:
    Place: Kimmeridge Ledges, Purbeck Dorset, England
    Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings (2020 table)

    Observation: The Durlston table records one seal alongside a sunfish (the log says 1+1); only the seal is included here.

  2. Date:
    Place: River Thames near Brentford West London
    Reported: Unidentified MyLondon, 11 August 2020 — https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/mysterious-unexpected-downright-weird-things-18753507

    Observation: Canoeist Leo Murray recorded one seal swimming near him in the Thames at Brentford. The report dates the encounter to 7 June 2020 and says the seal surfaced close to the canoe before swimming away.