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.
- Total reports
- 764
- Latest observation
Public reports · newest first
Public records archive
8 January—25 December
Follow updates
Receive alerts for new public reports. Lock-screen alerts show only a broad area in the United Kingdom.
Checking notification support on this device…
36 of 764 reports
Loading public records…
Public records could not be loaded. Check your connection and try again.
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.
14 of 36 reports mapped · 4 areas
Scroll the map sideways to explore the whole coast.
Mapped areas North to south
Areas without one map point
Broad country and coast labels, and places without a reviewed reference, remain filterable here.
- Belfast, Northern Ireland4 reports
- Devon, England2 reports
- Kent2 reports
- Cambridgeshire, England1 report
- Ceredigion, Wales1 report
- County Londonderry, Northern Ireland1 report
- East Sussex, England1 report
- Edinburgh, Scotland1 report
- Essex, England1 report
- Glasgow, Scotland1 report
- Gloucestershire, England1 report
- Maidstone, Kent1 report
- Mainland1 report
- Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England1 report
- Scotland1 report
- Suffolk, England1 report
- Teddington and Twickenham, London, England1 report
Map: Natural Earth.
Reports over time
All datesSelect a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.
Months in 2023
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Eyewitness comment on r/Belfast Christmas Eve seal video — https://www.reddit.com/r/Belfast/comments/18rsra4/
Observation: A commenter reported seeing a seal along the Lagan towpath on Christmas Day and wondered if it was the previous day's animal; continuity is unconfirmed.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified r/Belfast eyewitness video — https://www.reddit.com/r/Belfast/comments/18rsra4/
Observation: The poster shared footage of a seal seen near Lagan Meadows on Christmas Eve.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Thanet RSPB Local Group, 21 Nov 2023
Observation: group account reports one Atlantic Grey Seal spotted at Cley Beach.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Elyias Philippaerts — iNaturalist (elyias)
Observation: Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus).
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified UK Reporter/KentNews.Online, 4 November 2023 — https://ukreporter.co.uk/2023/11/04/seal-appears-in-central-maidstone/
Observation: A small seal pup was reported clambering out of the River Medway during rain from Storm Ciarán. The report says this happened “yesterday,” resolving to 3 November 2023. It mentions another seal near Maidstone East railway station the previous month, but says it is unknown whether this was the same animal; that earlier report is not combined with this encounter. Species and individual identity are not stated.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Edinburgh Live, 23 October 2023 — https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-local-gobsmacked-after-spotting-27964776
Observation: Martha Christie saw one grey seal swimming near swans while walking along the Water of Leith toward The Shore.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Glasgow Live, 20 October 2023 — https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/seal-filmed-splashing-around-river-27953117
Observation: A passer-by filmed a seal splashing in the Clyde, climbing across the tidal weir and returning to the water.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: Two seals were recorded offshore. Source time: 14:35.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified r/northernireland eyewitness post — https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/16olzq4/
Observation: A poster reported seeing a seal in the River Bann in the town centre that evening.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified r/northernireland eyewitness post — https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/15weaay/
Observation: A poster reported seeing a seal on the towpath between Drum Bridge and Shaw's Bridge and shared footage. A matching r/Belfast post appears to be the same account and encounter.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Peterborough Telegraph, 7 August 2023 — https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/people/bert-the-seal-spotted-chilling-at-peterborough-rowing-lake-4246324
Observation: A seal was seen sunbathing in the lake during a morning walk. The family reused the nickname Bert from an earlier sighting, but the article says it was uncertain whether this was the same seal.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Sea Watch Foundation NWDW Day 5, 3 August 2023 — https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/national-whale-and-dolphin-watch-day-5-2nd-august/
Observation: Two grey seals were spotted in the morning during a National Whale and Dolphin Watch observation.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Sea Watch Foundation NWDW Day 5, 3 August 2023 — https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/national-whale-and-dolphin-watch-day-5-2nd-august/
Observation: An observer entered a grey seal sighting just after 13:30 during National Whale and Dolphin Watch.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Sea Watch Foundation NWDW Day 4 — https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/national-whale-and-dolphin-watch-day-4-1st-august/
Observation: Two harbour seals were reported at around 14:30.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Sea Watch Foundation field report — https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/national-whale-and-dolphin-watch-day-1-2-29th-30th-july/
Observation: A grey seal was reported heading east from Dungeness.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Sea Watch Foundation field report — https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/national-whale-and-dolphin-watch-day-1-2-29th-30th-july/
Observation: Two harbour seals were reported bottling (sleeping in the water) between 10:30 and 11:00.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Sea Watch Foundation field report — https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/national-whale-and-dolphin-watch-day-1-2-29th-30th-july/
Observation: An adult harbour seal was observed heading north, at a reported distance of about 70 metres.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified WWT Slimbridge, Highlights of 2023
Observation: The reserve's annual highlights list a Harbour Seal from 18 July. This preserves the first date in the source wording; subsequent presence dates are not specified.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Gavin Stone — iNaturalist (ganistuk)
Observation: Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica).
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: One common seal was recorded; the source gives no further behaviour. Source time: 14:45.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Brighton and Hove News, 22 April 2023
Observation: eyewitness Becky Bruzas saw one seal shortly before 08:00.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: One grey seal was recorded. Source time: 10:00.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: One seal was recorded. Source time: 15:45.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: One grey seal was recorded. Source time: 11:30.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: One large seal was recorded close to the rocky shore. Source time: 13:00.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: Two seals were recorded about 100 metres apart. Source time: 13:30.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified RSPB South East Essex Local Group, 24 February 2023
Observation: The field log says the seal briefly came out of the water onto the mud bank during a 17:00–17:30 visit.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: A grey seal sighting was recorded; the source lists the count as one or two. Source time: time not stated.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: One seal was recorded offshore. Source time: time not stated.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Pete Bradshaw — iNaturalist (chinbrad)
Observation: Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica).
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Exmouth Nub News, 16 February 2023
Observation: local photographer dated this seal encounter to Tuesday 14 February; recurrent visits are not separately dated.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified r/northernireland eyewitness video — https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/10wdofj/
Observation: The poster filmed a seal surfacing for air in the River Lagan. A follow-up comment places it near Stranmillis; a cross-post the next day appears to show the same video.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified Durlston Country Park, Latest Sightings — https://www.durlston.co.uk/latest-sightings
Observation: Two grey seals were recorded offshore. Source time: time not stated.
-
Date:Place: Teddington Lock lifeboat station; later near Eel Pie Island Teddington and Twickenham, London, EnglandReported: Unidentified BBC News, 21 January 2023 — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-64358168
Observation: A grey seal emerged from the Thames and climbed onto a kayak mount outside the RNLI station at Teddington Lock. The BBC also reports that photographer Tobias Handschuh saw the seal near Eel Pie Island later that day and photographed it eating a fish; the accounts are kept together as one reported animal.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified The Independent, 21 January 2023
Observation: rescue centre says photos arrived Friday night and responders found one grey seal pup outside the arcade.
-
Date:Reported: Unidentified BBC News, 11 January 2023 — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64237426
Observation: Walker Jen Cowley filmed one seal bobbing about in the River Nene at Orton Mere Lock.