Catch'Um binoculars logoCatch’Um

Expedition 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Grey Seal in United Kingdom

Britain's big-eyed coastal giant — a curious seal whose pupping beaches draw one of Europe's largest breeding colonies.

Grey Seal

The species

The grey seal is Britain's larger seal species, with males reaching over two metres and cows nursing pups on remote beaches each autumn. Pups are born with white lanugo coats and triple their weight in three weeks on exceptionally rich milk before moulting to grey.

Habitat in United Kingdom

Rocky coastlines, offshore islands, and sand beaches in Scotland, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Wales hold major grey seal colonies. They forage widely at sea on fish and squid, hauling out on beaches to rest and breed.

Where to spot one

  • Richmond Park

    London

    Ancient parkland where red deer graze at dawn, mallards paddle the ponds, and foxes slip through bracken at the woodland edge.

  • The New Forest

    Hampshire

    Open heath and oak woodland where foxes, deer, ponies, and woodland birds share a landscape that feels surprisingly wild for southern England.

  • Hyde Park & Regent's Park

    London

    Urban park lakes for mallards, tree lines full of sparrows, and pigeons along the Serpentine — starter discoveries in the heart of the city.

  • Cotswolds Farmland

    Gloucestershire & Oxfordshire

    Hedgerows, pasture, and village edges — classic fox country where russet coats show clearly against green fields at last light.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

Grey seals are Least Concern globally, and UK populations have recovered strongly since hunting was banned. Disturbance on pupping beaches remains the main local threat.

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

Free on iOS

Log the Grey Seal in United Kingdom

Spot one in the wild — scan it in Catch'Um to log your rare discovery.