Seal-spotting guidance
Seals may seem common here, but they're more rare globally, so it's important to do all we can to keep them safe. Please follow these tips when watching out for them.
Where to go seal watching
You can see both grey and common seals around the UK coastline. They both spend a lot of time at sea but come ashore to give birth. Coastal walks are a great way to see seals, but you can also view them on a boat trip.
Seals are easily scared, especially by dogs
Please remember to keep a safe distance when seals come ashore and keep dogs on short leads.
Places to spot seals in the UK
- Strangford Lough, near Castle Ward, County Down
- From Castle Ward you can take a walk that explores the waterside, a ruined castle, woodland, an ornamental lake and follies. Visit in autumn for a chance to see Strangford Lough’s resident seals and their newborn pups.Visit Castle Ward
- Marloes Peninsula, Pembrokeshire
- During the summer months, around 150 pups are born here each year. You’ll get the best view of them from the Deer Park’s clifftop.Visit Marloes Sands
- Morte Point, North Devon
- The three-mile stretch of sand at Woolacombe is famous for being one of Devon’s best beaches. Take a pair of binoculars and you might find Atlantic grey seals playing near the shore – they need to pop up for air every 15 minutes, so find a spot to settle down and keep a lookout.Visit Woolacombe
- Port Quin, Cornwall
- Enjoy a walk that offers breathtaking views, with Stepper Point to the south and Doyden and Tintagel castles to the north. Keep your eyes peeled for grey seals and peregrine falcons, which you can often see along on this stretch of coast.Visit Port Quin
- St David's Peninsula, Pembrokeshire
- Here you can find some of Wales’s oldest rocks, which were laid down some 600 million years ago during the pre-Cambrian era. The route also goes past Seal Bay, which lives up to its name in autumn when seals give birth to their pups on the shore.Visit St David's Peninsula
Places to view seals by boat
- Blakeney Point, Norfolk
- Seal watching is a favourite pastime in Norfolk and you can visit the seals on Blakeney Point by hopping on a seal boat trip from Morston Quay. There are usually around 4,000 seal pups born each year.Visit Blakeney by boat
- Farne Islands, Northumberland
- Thousands of seals have made the Farne Islands their home, and you can travel by boat to spot them on a 'sail around' tour.Visit the Farne Islands by boat
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