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

25 January—15 November

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8 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 8 reports mapped · 1 area

N ↑London · 1 report1

Scroll the map sideways to explore the whole coast.

Mapped areas North to south

  1. London1 report

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 2015

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

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

  1. Lincolnshire coast England
    Unidentified alexroddie — iNaturalist

    Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as Atlantic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica). Grey seal

  2. Thames between HMS President and Sea Containers House, north side of the river London
    Unidentified ZSL Thames Marine Mammal Survey public sightings map — https://sites.zsl.org/inthethames/main/ (reported by Richard)

    Observer description: The observer first saw a dark back, then recognised it as a seal as it curved and dived. It was not seen again.

  3. Ray Gut, as the tide was coming in Thames Estuary, Essex
    Unidentified ZSL Thames Marine Mammal Survey public sightings map — https://sites.zsl.org/inthethames/main/ (reported by David)

    Observer description: A larger seal appeared to be lying on the sand with its head and tail out of the water. A smaller seal dived and was not seen again. Grey seal · 2 seals

  4. Argyll and Bute Scotland
    Unidentified angusjlothian — iNaturalist

    Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). Grey seal

  5. Orkney Scotland
    Unidentified carranya — iNaturalist

    Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina). Harbour seal

  6. River Dee above normal tidal limit Aberdeenshire, Scotland
    Pv002D SMRU report, 2017 — https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/12017/SSI_interim_report_2017.pdf

    Photo-identified harbour seal Pv002D above the River Dee normal tidal limit. Harbour seal · 1 seal

  7. River Dee above normal tidal limit Aberdeenshire, Scotland
    Pv003D SMRU report, 2017 — https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/12017/SSI_interim_report_2017.pdf

    Photo-identified harbour seal Pv003D above the River Dee normal tidal limit. Harbour seal · 1 seal

  8. River Dee above normal tidal limit Aberdeenshire, Scotland
    Pv002D SMRU report, 2017 — https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/12017/SSI_interim_report_2017.pdf

    Photo-identified harbour seal Pv002D above the River Dee normal tidal limit. Harbour seal · 1 seal