Grey and harbour seals

Seals around New England.

Follow public seal observations from New England. 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
443
Latest observation

Public reports · newest first

Public records archive

15 October—23 October

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4 of 443 reports

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Markers group reports by reviewed names in their public locations, not exact sighting positions. Circle size reflects report counts. Select a place to filter the archive.

4 of 4 reports mapped · 2 places

New England Six-state outline

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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. 12000
  2. 12002
  3. 32003
  4. 42004
  5. 22005
  6. 22006
  7. 42007
  8. 142008
  9. 82009
  10. 212010
  11. 282011
  12. 292012
  13. 282013
  14. 282014
  15. 602015
  16. 862016
  17. 852017
  18. 12018
  19. 32019
  20. 32020
  21. 62021
  22. 32022
  23. 42023
  24. 32024
  25. 52025
  26. 112026

Months in 2010

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

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

  1. Date:
    Place: Plymouth Massachusetts
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61016200

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. Two live harbor seals are side by side on a low rock surrounded by water. The page clock is inconsistent with Massachusetts, so no observation time is preserved.

  2. Date:
    Reported: Unidentified Paul Gammons / Community Boating, reported in the Boston Globe via SARA Rowing

    Observation: Paul Gammons encountered a harbor seal at the Community Boating dock while hauling moorings. The article presents it as the seal reported in the Charles River that week.

  3. Date:
    Reported: Unidentified Matt Lindblad / MIT sailing team, reported in the Boston Globe via SARA Rowing

    Observation: A harbor seal surfaced among the MIT sailing team during practice near the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, then swam away. The article presents it as the same seal reported in the Charles River that week.

  4. Date:
    Reported: Unidentified Boston Globe / New England Aquarium, reported in SARA Rowing

    Observation: A harbor seal was first reported in the Charles River near the Museum of Science by a Boston Duck Tour operator. Later October accounts may describe repeat sightings of this seal; they do not establish additional animals.