Where can I see common seals in the UK?
Best seal-spotting locations in the UK
- Orkney Islands, Scotland.
- Blakeney, Norfolk.
- Various locations along the coast, West Cornwall.
- Donna Nook, Lincolnshire.
- Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire.
- Monach Isles in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
- Farne Islands, Northumberland.
- Horsey Gap, Norfolk.
Where are common seals found?
About. When not at sea, common seals are found around sheltered shores and estuaries, where they haul out on sandbanks and beaches. When out of the water, they sometimes hold their body in a curved banana position, with their head and tail both in the air at the same time.
Where are harbour seals found in the UK?
The most important haul-out areas for common seals are around the coast of Scotland, particularly in the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland, and on the east coast of England in the Wash, also around Strangford Lough and in SW Ireland.
Are seals protected in UK?
Both grey and common seals on the east and south-east coast of England (from Berwick to Newhaven) are currently protected all year from being killed, injured or taken under the Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999.
Do seals live in the UK?
Two species of seal live in the UK and can be seen around our coasts and saltmarshes. Both of these species are regularly spotted alone foraging for food in the water or in larger groups hauled out on sand, mud or rocks.
How many common seals are there in the UK?
UK population size & distribution UK population of 36,050. Abundant in northern waters but rare elsewhere. They are found around Orkney, Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides; a few colonies exist along the east coast in sandy estuaries, from Scotland to the Wash, and on the north and south coasts of Ireland.
Are seals endangered UK?
Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The common seal is protected under UK law and the EC Habitats Directive. Sixteen Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been designated specifically for seals.
How are seals protected in the UK?
On the IUCN Red List for endangered species, grey seals are protected by the Habitats Directive in the EU and the Conservation of Seals Act in the UK and have legal protection in Special Areas of Conservation and Special Sites of Scientific Interest.
What do grey seals eat UK?
Grey seals eat a wide variety of fish, squid, octopus and crustaceans such as shrimp. Sometimes they eat a seabird or two.
Are seals rare in England?
According to the Mammal Society the common seal is in fact less common in British waters than the grey seal, at about 55,000 compared with around 120,000 grey seals, but around Ireland the two species are more equally represented: about 3,000 common seals and 4,000 grey seals.