Seals

Seals, both Common and Grey (or Harbour), can often be seen around the coastline of the Highlands and Islands – on a wet walk they are guaranteed to raise spirits. As their name suggests, the Common Seal is more widespread, but the larger Grey seal can often be seen in the water or basking on rocks at low tide. Particularly good places to spot seals are listed on our Walks to see seals? page, though seals are a common sight on all the coastal walks. Seals will often watch you from the water, lazily bobbing like floating bottles, before diving for up to 10 minutes at a time.

Common Seal, by Marcel Buckhard

Common seals have marking unique to each animal and can vary in colour from brownish black to tan or grey; underparts are generally lighter. The body and flippers are short, with a proportionately large, rounded head. The nostrils appear distinctively V-shaped; as with other true seals, there is no ear flap. A relatively large (for a seal) ear canal may be visible posterior to the eye. Including the head and flippers, they may reach an adult length of 1.85 metres and a weight of 130 kilograms. Females are generally smaller than males. Female common seals have a life span of 30-35 years while male lifespans are usually 20-25. Scientists have suggested that this is due to stresses male seals are subjected to during breeding seasons. Although preferring to live in colonies, seals are defensive of their own space and can often be seen defending their own area of rock by flapping apparently ineffectively with a flipper at any intruder and making a distinctive “farty” noise. If approached by humans seals will often head straight into the water where they are more mobile and safer.

Grey Seal by Andreas Trepte

The Grey seal is the largest native mammal in Britain, with the bulls reaching an enormous 2.5–3.3 m long and weighing up to 300kg; the cows are much smaller, typically 1.6–2 m long and 100–150 kg weight. During the winter months they can be seen hauled out on the rocks, islands, and shoals not far from shore. Like Common seals, the Grey eats mainly fish and crusteaceans althouth there have been reports of Grey seals attacking and eating very young Common seals.

Most coastal walks will be rewarded with a sighting of at least one inquisitive seal.

Common Seal photo by Marcel Buckhard reproduced under GNU FDL licence. Grey Seal by Andreas Trepte reproduced under CCASA 2.5