Completed
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyPhocidae (Earless Seals)
- GenusPhoca (common seals)
- SpeciesPhoca vitulina (Harbor Seal)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
47 Verified sightings at Boston
2,733 In all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Harbor Seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas.
Harbor seals are brown, silvery white, tan, or grey, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. An adult can attain a length of 1.85 m (6.1 ft) and weigh up to 168 kg (370 lb). Blubber under the seal's skin helps to maintain body temperature. Females outlive males (30–35 years versus 20–25 years). Harbor seals stick to familiar resting spots or haulout sites, generally rocky areas (although ice, sand, and mud may also be used) where they are protected from adverse weather conditions and predation, near a foraging area. Males may fight over mates under water and on land. Females bear a single pup after a nine-month gestation, which they care for alone. Pups can weigh up to 16 kg (35 lb) and are able to swim and dive within hours of birth. They develop quickly on their mothers' fat-rich milk, and are weaned after four to six weeks.
The global population of harbor seals is 350,000–500,000, but the freshwater subspecies Ungava seal in Northern Quebec is endangered. Once a common practice, sealing is now illegal in many nations within the animal's range. Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording0:12
United States · 2026
© Cat Chang · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:11
Germany · 2016
© Jorick van de Westeringh · Observation.org, Nature data from around the World · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recent sightings of Harbor Seal in Boston
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 3 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Svalbard | 🇳🇴 Norway | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Boston
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Harbor Seal in Boston?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Harbor Seal sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 47 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 18th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Harbor Seal in Boston?
November to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Harbor Seal in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Harbor Seal?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Harbor Seal sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Boston the best place to see a Harbor Seal?
7th of 11
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Harbor Seal sightings, Boston ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Seattle (United States, about 30%), Vancouver (Canada, about 30%) and San Diego (United States, about 20%).
Which relatives of the Harbor Seal live in Boston?
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Harbor Seal that you can see in Boston (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Common Raccoon (about 30%), Coyote (about 20%) and Red Fox (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Harbor Seal sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Harbor Seal is recorded against all the mammals logged in Boston (47 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
