Where to see seals in the UK
If you’re wondering where to see seals in the UK, then head to the coast. Grey seals and common seals appear around the coastlines of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – but there are a few spots where they're more likely to be seen.
Learn how to watch seals safely from the land and water, and what you can do to help them thrive in the wild.
Best places to spot seals
As creatures of the coast, there are several spots where seals live in the UK. Here's where you're likely to find them.
Both species
Both species of UK seals can be found around
- England: Blakeney Point, Horsey Beach and Hunstanton, Norfolk
- Northern Ireland: Murlough Bay, County Down
- Scotland: Shetland Islands
Grey seals
Grey seals in particular also haul out in:
- England: Port Quin, Cornwall, Morte Point and Lundy Island, Devon, Donna Nook, Lincolnshire, The Farne Islands, Northumberland
- Scotland: The Isle of May, Firth of Forth, Orkney Islands, Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides
- Wales: The Pembrokeshire Coast, Ramsey Island, Marloes Peninsula, St David’s Peninsula
Common seals
Common seals can also be sighted in:
- Northern Ireland: Rathlin Island
Best time to see seals
For the best chance of seeing seals in the UK, it’s not just where you see them, but when. You can see UK seals haul out on land all throughout the year to rest and digest. But to spot them gathered in large groups or colonies depends on when their mating, pupping and moulting season takes place.
To see common seals, stick to a summer schedule. They pup in June and July.
Grey seals, however, appear at different times in different places. Grey seals will gather in the autumn and winter to mate and give birth.
Early morning and late afternoon are seals' favourite time to bask in the sun, and in the morning you might spot them as they’re hauling out to rest on land after a night at sea.
- England: Grey seal pups are born between September and October in the south west, and December on the east coast.
- Northern Ireland: Pupping starts during September.
- North and West of Scotland: Grey seals typically mate and give birth to their pups between October and December.
- Wales: Grey seal pups will pop out in August/September.
How to watch seals safely
Always prioritise safety when watching seals – theirs and yours. And do so respectfully.
Stay back and observe from a distance
Keep as far away from the seal as possible – over 100m at least (the length of a football pitch). Getting too close can frighten them and disrupt their routines, so never attempt to approach them for a selfie.
Don’t disturb them – especially mother seals and their pups
Try not to disturb any seals, especially mother and baby. Grey seal cows (females) are very sensitive to disturbance when they’re with their pup. They can flee into the sea and leave their pup behind, and may not return to feed it.
Stay quiet
Make as little noise as possible. If a seal turns to look at you, it means you’ve disturbed them.
Keep dogs away (and on leads!)
Seals can become aggressive if a dog approaches or attacks them – it’s their survival instinct. Though they’re incredibly fast and agile in water, on land seals are slower and vulnerable, but can move fast and will bite if provoked. With strong jaws and sharp teeth, they can cause serious injury or disease.
Can you pet and feed a seal?
No, it’s against the law to pet, feed or generally interact with seals. Both common seals and grey seals are protected by UK wildlife laws.
These laws protect seals against being taken, injured or killed. Seal disturbance, intentional or not, falls under The Conservation of Seals Act and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If your behaviour affects their behaviour, it’s considered harassment and detrimental to their welfare
It’s also dangerous. Seals can frighten easily, and as they are slower to escape on land, they can become aggressive, often biting, if they feel threatened or provoked. Approaching seals is also dangerous for them; the closer you get the more stressed they will become, even injuring themselves whilst trying to get away.
Feeding seals is not only illegal, but damaging to seal welfare. If you feed a seal, it can change their behaviour towards humans. As quick learners, they might begin to associate food with people and boats, disrupting their natural hunting routines, reducing their fear of people and encouraging dependence on humans for food.
If you want to see our seal rehab work in action, our East Winch Wildlife Centre hosts an open day every two years (the next one is in 2027), where you can see seal rehab in action. But you don’t have to wait that long – a Christmas market is coming to East Winch on November 29th 2025, with seal demos and seal talks scheduled.
Paddling and seals
Whether paddling or paddleboarding, swimming or surfing, if you’re out in the water – you can disturb seals. Even if it’s unintentional, your approach can be quiet and without warning, which can startle nearby seals.
Like all sentient creatures, seals can get a little curious. To them, a person in a wetsuit is a funny looking seal, so they might decide to get a closer look. If you’re in the water and a seal swims by, try to act as calm and uninteresting as possible. If they appear aggressive, slowly but assertively back away. Whatever you do, do not touch them.
Before you head into the water, remember:
Do
- paddle/swim slowly
- stay parallel to the shore where passing the seals
- be as quiet as you can
- stick to a constant speed and direction
- keep at least 100m away
- if you’re out with a group, bunch together
Don't
- try to rush past them
- aim towards them
- speak or make loud noises
- stop suddenly
- go any closer
- spread apart if in a group
- try to take a selfie
Seals, litter and ring frisbees
Over the last 5 years (2020 to 2024), our four wildlife centres took in more than 1,500 common and grey seals – 273 of them coming to us in 2024. Many of them have suffered a necklace injury (an entanglement which surrounds the neck of a seal), caused by litter or ring frisbees.
Like Honey-Badger, a seal pup we took in at our East Winch Wildlife Centre this year (2025), after she was found entangled in netting at less than a year old, and left with a nasty infected wound to the back of her neck. Griffon Vulture, another seal who arrived at East Winch in February (2025), suffered painful injuries around her neck after getting a plastic ring embedded in her skin.
Ring frisbees can get lost or left behind, ending up in the water. To a young and curious seal, the frisbees look like interesting toys, so they’ll swim along, pop their head inside – and suddenly they’re stuck. As they get bigger, the ring frisbee gets tighter, which leads to injury and infection. If they’re not removed or treated, this can kill them.
But with your help, this can change.
Please don’t use ring frisbees on the beach (use a safer alternative like a non-plastic solid frisbee/flying disk), pick up any litter and check you’ve left nothing behind that might end up in the water.
It’s really heartbreaking that it's still only early in the year and we've already had so many seals come in with entanglements. What’s concerning is that a lot of them are just pups.
Related content
Where can you see seals in the UK?
Seals can be found all around the UK coast, but mostly around the north and east. Common seals are found in Scotland, and our eastern and southeast coast whereas grey seals are found mostly around our northern, eastern and western coastlines.
They’ll come onto shore on quiet beaches and rocky areas to rest, digest their food and give birth to their pups. Although they spend most of their time in the sea, it’s completely normal for them to come on to beaches. If you’re lucky, you might even see them resting in the banana pose!
It’s normal to see seals in rivers or water bodies further inland when they’re looking for food. There’s no need to call us for help unless the seal is sick, injured or is stuck between locks or weirs. Crowds can cause stress, so try to stay away and watch them from a distance.
When do seals breed?
Common seals give birth to their pups in June and July, and their pups will go into the water soon after they’re born.
Grey seals have their pups at different times of year depending on where they are. Grey seals that live in the south-west will start having their pups in September, followed by the populations in Scotland in October and November and finishing with seals on the east coast around December. Grey seal pups have white coats, and they won’t go into the water until they’re two or three weeks old.
Watching seals safely
Wild seals are an amazing sight to see, but it’s really important to leave them alone and not get too close.
Disturbing seals when they’re on beaches can mean they can’t sleep or digest their food properly, or mothers and pups could be separated from each other. It’s also dangerous for people or dogs to get too close to them, as seals have a painful bite.
The best thing to do is to move slowly and quietly, paying attention to any signs up on the beach. Always keep at least 100 metres away - that’s about the same length as a full-sized football pitch. Use binoculars to watch them, and keep dogs on a lead or leave them at home if you can.
If the seals are looking at you, then you’re too close and you’ll need to back away quietly. Find more tips on watching seals from the Seal Alliance.
How to tell if a seal is sick or injured
It’s normal for healthy seals to spend time on beaches, so if you see one on a beach there’s no need to worry unless you see any of these signs too
This isn’t a complete list, so if you’re not sure then contact us for further advice.
- They’re tangled in netting, or there’s something stuck around their necks
- You’ve seen the seal being attacked by a dog
- They’ve got injuries or open wounds
- The seal is thin - if you can see their neck clearly, this usually means they’re underweight
- They’re shivering, and you’ve seen them doing this for more than 15 minutes. They might also shiver if they’re frightened, so make sure you’re not too close
- It’s a seal pup that you’ve been monitoring for 24 hours and the mother hasn’t returned
If you’re worried about a seal, then the best way to help is to watch it from a distance. Never try to approach them, touch them or move them back into the sea as this can be dangerous for the seal and make it harder for the experts to rescue them safely. Watch it for an hour or two - they may wander off. After that time if it’s clear that they need help, contact us on 0300 1234 999.
Because cruelty and neglect calls are our top priority, it might take us longer than we’d like to help this seal. We appreciate your understanding.
