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

25 May—8 November

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14 of 443 reports

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Explore by place

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.

9 of 14 reports mapped · 5 places

Mapped places North to south

Places without a map point · 5 reports

Broad or unreviewed public locations remain available in the archive.

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 2008

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

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

  1. Date:
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/338348739

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photographs reviewed. Two photographs show the same single live seal head in water; they are not two animals.

  2. Date:
    Place: Wellfleet Massachusetts
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/169839623

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photographs reviewed. Seals are swimming in surf; multiple dark heads or bodies are visible, so count remains unset. Source identifications include family-level and grey seal.

  3. Date:
    Place: Truro Massachusetts
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/379568752

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. One live seal is visible in coastal water viewed from behind.

  4. Date:
    Place: Gull Island, Dukes County Massachusetts
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/3034060

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist page and photograph reviewed. Several distant seal heads are visible near a rocky island. The observer records Atlantic grey seal or harbor seal uncertainty; species and count remain unset.

  5. Date:
    Place: Bristol, Maine Maine
    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.

  6. Date:
    Place: Wellfleet Massachusetts
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/23097579

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 23097579. Original page has two visible photograph assets and research-grade grey seal identification.

  7. Date:
    Place: Addison Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141403671

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 141403671. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade Atlantic harbor seal identification.

  8. Date:
    Place: Petit Manan Island Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4117834

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 4117834. Original page has two visible photograph assets and research-grade grey seal identification.

  9. Date:
    Place: Brothers Island Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4096784

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 4096784. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade harbor seal identification; comments explain the diagnostic basis.

  10. Date:
    Place: Brothers Island Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4096783

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 4096783. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade harbor seal identification.

  11. Date:
    Place: Brothers Island Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4140056

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 4140056. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade grey seal identification.

  12. Date:
    Place: West Brother Island Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128043860

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 128043860. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade grey seal identification; community discussion addresses grey/harbor distinction.

  13. Date:
    Place: Brothers Island Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128051378

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 128051378. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade harbor seal identification.

  14. Date:
    Place: Acadia National Park Maine
    Reported: Unidentified https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10912573

    Observation: Direct original iNaturalist observation reviewed. Source IDs: 10912573. Original page has visible photograph asset and research-grade grey seal identification.