Species Focus - Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Autumn is the time our Grey Seals haul out onto beaches in sheltered coves to give birth and nurse their pups. For this reason, autumn is an excellent time to record Grey Seals as there’s a good chance you’ll see them close to land. However, extreme care is needed to ensure we don’t accidentally disturb them during this vulnerable period.

So, if you are interested in heading out to look for seals, it’s good practice to use binoculars and observe them at distance from a safe vantage point above the beach. It’ll also give you the chance to observe interesting natural behaviours.

The rocky coves of North Wales are good sites for viewing Grey Seals. However, perhaps the easiest place to see them is Porth Dyniewaid (Angel Bay) on the Little Orme. Here the North Wales Wildlife Trust have taped off the area to ensure people can get good views of seals without disturbing them.

If you see any Grey Seals in North Wales please submit your records, preferably with photographs, to the Cofnod ORS or the LERC Wales App.

Further information on Grey Seals can be found here.