New England · 2000—2026
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.
- Total reports
- 443
- Latest observation
Public reports · newest first
Public records archive
15 July 2004—20 July 2025
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Explore by place
All placesMarkers 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.
350 of 443 reports mapped · 19 places
New England Six-state outline
Reported places Detail of outlined region
Mapped places North to south
- Eastern Maine12 reports
- Bangor Waterfront1 report
- Downeast Maine / Acadia51 reports
- Midcoast Maine41 reports
- Casco Bay / Portland16 reports
- Southern Maine13 reports
- Seacoast / Isles of Shoals6 reports
- Massachusetts North Shore30 reports
- Boston Harbor / Charles River13 reports
- Holyoke / Connecticut River1 report
- Outer Cape Cod40 reports
- Plymouth / South Shore12 reports
- Lower Cape Cod47 reports
- Mid Cape Cod6 reports
- South Cape / Buzzards Bay17 reports
- Rhode Island coast17 reports
- Martha's Vineyard4 reports
- Connecticut coast15 reports
- Nantucket8 reports
Places without a map point · 93 reports
Broad or unreviewed public locations remain available in the archive.
- Barnstable County10 reports
- Barnstable County waters1 report
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts3 reports
- Brothers Island4 reports
- Bunker Ledge1 report
- Cape Cod3 reports
- Cape Cod / Barnstable1 report
- Cape Cod National Seashore1 report
- Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts1 report
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts1 report
- Hancock County2 reports
- Hancock County, Maine1 report
- Jeffreys Ledge1 report
- Knox County1 report
- Lincoln County2 reports
- Long Island1 report
- Maine coast3 reports
- Maine coastal island, public place only1 report
- Massachusetts coast1 report
- Massachusetts coastal waters1 report
- New England44 reports
- New Hampshire coast, exact site unspecified1 report
- Newport County1 report
- Plymouth County1 report
- Sagadahoc1 report
- Southeastern Stellwagen Bank area1 report
- Washington County1 report
- Washington County, Maine1 report
- West Brother Island1 report
- York County1 report
Map: Natural Earth.
Reports over time
Select a year, then a month. Counts describe published reports; one animal may appear in several reports.
Grouped by each record’s archive date. Approximate dates keep their original labels in the records below.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified Owen Bradley — iNaturalist (obrad98)
Observation: Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus).
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Date:Reported: Unidentified howarddc — iNaturalist
Observation: Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus).
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Date:Reported: COA Allied Whale / Marine Mammals of Maine
Observation: A seal pup was found abandoned in Lincolnville and rescued by Allied Whale before transport to Marine Mammals of Maine. The record preserves the wild finding and does not treat admission or later release as new sightings.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/17358345
Observation: A large Harbor Seal haulout was photographed near Broad Cove.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7830268
Observation: A group of Harbor Seals was photographed hauled out near Boothbay Harbor.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7830198
Observation: One Harbor Seal was photographed swimming near Boothbay Harbor.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104463853
Observation: Many seals were photographed hauled out near Hog Island.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9267848
Observation: Many Harbor Seals were photographed hauled out near Friendship.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7127561
Observation: One distant Harbor Seal head was photographed in Penobscot Bay near North Haven.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7370399
Observation: A group of Harbor Seals was photographed hauled out near St George.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7278013; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7278447
Observation: Many Harbor Seals were photographed hauled out near Eastern Egg Rock.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9395978
Observation: One Grey Seal was photographed swimming near Monhegan.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6777518
Observation: Several Harbor Seals were photographed hauled out on exposed tidal rocks near Bremen.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/71737821
Observation: Two Harbor Seals were photographed hauled out on a shore rock near Bremen.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/387657803
Observation: One Harbor Seal was photographed hauled out on a seaweed-covered shore near St George.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/297972555
Observation: One Harbor Seal was photographed with its head above the water near Newcastle.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5644024
Observation: One dark seal head was photographed in coastal water near Rockland.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4318374
Observation: Seals were photographed near Monhegan.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41065513; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41065514
Observation: Grey Seals were photographed swimming near Vinalhaven.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/178308165
Observation: A Grey Seal was photographed swimming near Friendship.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/227360674
Observation: A seal was photographed swimming offshore near Vinalhaven and Rockland.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/227359777
Observation: Grey Seals were photographed swimming near Seal Island.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/137650462
Observation: A Harbor Seal was photographed on a rock near Camden.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4101520
Observation: A Harbor Seal was photographed swimming near St George.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11703779
Observation: A large group of seals was photographed hauled out near Bremen.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/71342956
Observation: A Harbor Seal was photographed swimming near Monhegan.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/17422096
Observation: A seal head was photographed near a kayak in Penobscot Bay.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1976703
Observation: A group of seals was photographed in Muscongus Bay.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2397685
Observation: A group of Grey Seals was photographed near Matinicus Rock.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2397698
Observation: One Grey Seal was photographed near Eastern Egg Rock.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1114477
Observation: A seal was photographed near Monhegan.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/780041
Observation: A seal was photographed near Boothbay Harbor.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48724227
Observation: A Grey Seal was photographed near Matinicus.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19106340
Observation: Several seals were photographed near Eastern Egg Rock.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/194042206; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/194042207
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist pages and matching photographs reviewed. Same observer, time and rock haulout; many seals are present. Grouped as one encounter and count remains unset.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51127914
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. One Harbor Seal is swimming.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37047047; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37047048
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist pages and photographs reviewed. Same observer and Monhegan outing: one photo shows a Harbor Seal on rock and the other a Grey Seal in water. Grouped as one encounter because the taxon IDs conflict and total count is uncertain; no subspecies claim and no photo uploaded.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/85689347
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. Several live Grey Seals are hauled on wet rock, with one moving back into the water; count is unset.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/132176738
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. A multi-seal haulout is visible on wave-washed rocks; exact count is difficult because animals overlap and are partly obscured.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/35816306
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. One live harbor seal is hauled out on a kelp-covered coastal rock.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218003604
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 218003604. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade Atlantic harbor seal identification.