The grey seal and the common or harbour seal. Despite their name, common seals are less common in the UK than their larger grey cousins. Both are regularly found on Scotland’s islands, around the west coast and stretches of the east coast including the Moray Firth.
Where they live
Both grey and common seals spend much of their time at sea. They come ashore to breed, moult (shed their hair) and to rest between fishing expeditions.
You might spot them basking on beaches, sandbanks or rocks, or see their dark, glossy heads bobbing in the sea. They are curious creatures, likely to be as interested in you as you are in them.
What they eat
Seals are warm-blooded mammals but perfectly adapted to living and hunting in the sea. Both grey and common seals eat a variety of seafood. They will feed on whatever they can find, from cod and salmon to sand eels and shrimps.
They have streamlined bodies, with a thick hairy coat and a layer of blubber to keep them warm. They can look ungainly on shore, but seals are fast and agile in the water. Their large eyes, acute hearing and sensitive whiskers help them home in on their prey even in the murkiest sea.
How to see them in the wild
Seals can be easily disturbed by humans. Please keep your distance, ideally more than 250m. We recommend bringing binoculars to see them instead. Stay quiet, downwind (if possible) and out of sight. Keep dogs on leads and never try to feed wild seals.
Where you might see them
You can see seals swimming or hauled out of the water, either alone or in small groups. These forests offer particularly good seal-spotting opportunities.
Kylerhea Otter Hide on the Isle of Skye, where you are very likely to see seals and seabirds along the shore. You might also spot otters and dolphins.
Tentsmuir Forest on the coast of Fife, not far from Dundee. Wander through towering trees and rolling dunes to reach the shifting sands where seals regularly haul out.
Garbh Eilean Wildlife Hide on the shores of Loch Sunart. The hide overlooks the shore and several rocky islands, which are popular basking sites for seals. Keep your eyes peeled for otters, ospreys and sea eagles here too.
When you can see them
You can see seals any time of the year. However, they gather in much larger groups at certain times of the year to mate, give birth and moult.
Grey seals mate and pup in Scotland between October and December, then moult from January to April. Common seals breed in June and July and moult soon after.
What to look out for
Grey and common seals can be difficult to tell apart, especially from a distance. The grey seal is bigger, with a horse-like profile and a distinctive nose with parallel nostril slits. The smaller common seal has a more dog-like face and nostrils that meet in a V-shape.