The UK is home to two types of seal, the common seal also known as the harbour seal and the grey seal. They populate much of the coastline, particularly around Cornwall and Scotland but also in other parts of the UK. Below are some of the best places to see seals in the wild…

Norfolk:

Blakeney – There are many boat trips available to see the seals at the National Trust site at Blakeney Point in North Norfolk, with boats leaving from Blakeney harbour and Morston quay. The boats pass sandbanks which are covered in basking seals, both common and grey seals, which make up a colony of approximately 500 during the months of April-October. It is likely that visitors will see seal pups here too with common seal pups being born between June-August and grey seal pups between November-January.

The Wash – This East-Anglian estuary and nature reserve runs from Skegness to Hunstanton and has one of the largest breeding colonies of common seal in the UK with over 3,000 seals. Seal watching boat trips are available from Hunstanton from April-October though it\’s best to visit in June or July if you want to see the seal pups.

Scotland:

Orkney Islands – Both the common seal and grey seal can be seen here with estimated numbers of 25,000 grey seals and 7,000 common seals. Stand on any shore and you are likely to see a seal in the water, and on pleasant days you can see them basking in the sun on the rocks of the smaller uninhabited islands. Some of the very best seal watching places around the Orkney islands include Eynhallow Sound, Stronsay, Finstown and Mull Head.

Moray Firth – In the highlands of Scotland at Chanonry Point you can watch seals as they bob up out of the sea. Common seals haul up on the beaches over the winter months to raise their pups whilst in the summer 500 grey seals come into the Firth so there\’s always a good chance of seeing seals here.

Cornwall:

Newquay Harbour – Regular boat trips to see Grey seals in the bay run from Newquay harbour but it\’s also possible to see a group of 6 common (harbour) seals in the harbour itself as they follow the fishing boats in every day.

Grey seals can be seen all year around the Cornish coastline, some other key places for seeing seals include Lizard Point as well as St Ives and Penzance where seal watching boat trips depart from.

Pembrokeshire:

Skomer Island – West Wales is home to about 5,000 grey seals and at Skomer Island they can be seen all year round bobbing in the sea or basking on the rocks at Garland Stone. Seal pups can be seen from September-December with about 160 seal pups born here each year, the best time to see them being October.

Lincolnshire:

Donna Nook – This is one of the most accessible places in the UK to see grey seals during the breeding season. From October-December hundreds of grey seals haul out near the sand dunes at Donna Nook. In 2008 more than 1000 grey seal pups were born here so a winter visit gives you an excellent chance of seeing seal pups up close.

To support the UK seal sanctuaries why not visit the Gweek seal sanctuary in Cornwall, or the Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary.

To support the UK seal sanctuaries why not visit the http://www.visitsealife.com/Gweek/ Gweek seal sanctuary in Cornwall, or the http://www.visitsealife.com/Hunstanton/ Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary.

Author Bio: To support the UK seal sanctuaries why not visit the Gweek seal sanctuary in Cornwall, or the Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary.

Category: Travel
Keywords: grey seals, seal pups, grey seal, common seal, seals wild, boat trips