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
23 October 2010—16 November 2022
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12 of 443 reports
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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 Jackson Frost — iNaturalist (jacksonfrost)
Observation: Photographic observation identified on iNaturalist as grey seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica).
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5788743; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5788747; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5788742
Observation: At least two Harbor Seals were photographed hauled out on coastal rocks near Manomet Point during one outing.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5000598
Observation: One Harbor Seal was photographed hauled out on a breakwater near Scituate.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98216277
Observation: One Harbor Seal was photographed on a rocky shore near Plymouth.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4436851
Observation: Multiple seals were photographed hauled out near Manomet Point.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2703226; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2703227
Observation: Harbor Seal shapes were photographed in water near Manomet Point.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/147555264
Observation: A Grey Seal was photographed on a rock near Plymouth.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16870095
Observation: Two seals were photographed on a rock at Manomet Point.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93462865
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. One distant Harbor Seal head is visible in water at a public coastal locality; no subspecies claim and no photo uploaded.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93461383
Observation: One Harbor Seal head was photographed in water along the Plymouth shoreline.
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Date:Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93461573
Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. One live-appearing Harbor Seal head is visible in water. Same observer/date as 93461383 but a separate public Plymouth Harbor site 1 hour 31 minutes later; retained as a separate encounter. No subspecies claim and no photo uploaded.
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Date: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.