Seals in Scotland

Seals have a long cultural history in Scotland from mythological tales of Selkies – the shapeshifting seals who shed their skin and take on a human form, to the days of Saint Columba on Iona where it was believed they were baptised Christians that had reverted to paganism. When you hear the grey seals howling from the rocks or catch a glimpse of them amongst the kelp you can see how they’ve captured imaginations for centuries.

In Scotland we have two species of seal – the Harbour or Common Seal (Phoca vitulina) and the Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus). Despite the name, we see more greys than common seals as they prefer more exposed locations where they can forage over long distances out at sea, whereas the common seals prefer more sheltered areas, typically around Oban and the Sound of Mull.

One difference between the species is their size. Common seals are smaller, reaching a maximum of around 150kg, whereas grey seals in the eastern Atlantic can reach around 300kg. However, grey seals show sexual dimorphism meaning that males and females have different features and look quite different. Male grey seals are a lot bigger and darker, where females are smaller, more sleek looking and can be quite pale in colour which sometimes leads to confusion.

Other than size, both seals have different facial features. Commons are more cat-like with a more rounded, short concave face and a proportionally smaller head. Grey seals tend to have a long sloping snout and look more like a labrador. The grey seals scientific name “Halichoerus grypus” actually means “hook nosed sea pig” which is very fitting when you see a big male grey!

Harbour seals pup in the early summer, with most pups born between June and July. Grey seals have a later pupping season usually beginning in September and can last through until December. Depending on annual variability in sea conditions and food availability there can be outliers often a month earlier or later for both species.

In the early 20^th century, it was estimated that there were only 500 grey seals in Britain but with now over 120,000, this represents 40% of the world’s population and 95% of the European population. Despite making such an incredible comeback, it’s still estimated that there are as few as 650,000 grey seals left in the world’s oceans making them rarer than African elephants, so they still have a while to go until they’re back to historic levels.

You can swim with grey seals on our single-day lagoon tours and on all our multi-day tours. Grey seals are a protected species so our tours are led by a marine biologist to ensure there is no disturbance to the animals. Small groups ensure that the seals are comfortable and they often decide to approach us out of curiosity. Take a look at this encounter with a curious young female grey seal!

If you’d like to find out more have a look at the tours section on our website or get in touch via email.