Halichoerus grypus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), or gray seal in the United States, is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or "earless seals". The only species classified in the genus Halichoerus, it is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin, Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is also known as the horsehead seal, owing to its large head.
The grey seal is large and heavy, with individuals from the eastern Atlantic being 1.6–2.3 m (5 ft 3 in – 7 ft 7 in) long and weighing 100–310 kg (220–680 lb), while individuals from the western Atlantic are up to 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) long, and can reach a weight of as much as 400 kg (880 lb). It is found widely across the northern Atlantic, ranging from the US to Russia, and occasionally as far south as Portugal. It can be divided into two subspecies: the Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus grypus), found in the Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica), found everywhere else. The largest populations are in Canada and the UK.
Grey seals have a varied diet, feeding mostly on fish, and occasionally on invertebrates such as octopuses and lobsters. Their main predators are orcas, and they are also prey to sharks. The pups main predator is often eagles and gulls. Wikipedia →
Recording1:00
United Kingdom · 2019
© David de la Haye · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:31
Canada · 2022
© kaikens · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:19
Isle of Man · 2024
© Andrew Jacobs · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 5 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 2 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 3 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 4 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Stockholm | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 6 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Lisbon | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 8 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Seal sighting in Rotterdam [The Hague] on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 4th most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Seal in Rotterdam [The Hague] on a given day, against under 5% in June, the lowest month.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gray 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.
Yes
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Gray Seal sightings, Rotterdam [The Hague] has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Dublin (Ireland, about 10%) and Helsinki (Finland, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray Seal is recorded against all the mammals logged in Rotterdam [The Hague] (33 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.
