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Animal profile

Grey Seal

Halichoerus grypus

MammaliaNorth Atlantic coasts, rocky islands, sandbanks and offshore watersLeast Concern

Field profile

The grey seal is a large North Atlantic seal with a long straight muzzle, especially in bulls. Britain holds a substantial share of the world population. It breeds on remote beaches and islands in autumn and winter and forages widely over sandy and rocky seabeds.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-02-21

Grey Seal

Grey seals hunt and eat harbour seals and porpoises

Corkscrew-shaped wounds on dead seals and porpoises in the North Sea were long blamed on ship propellers or offshore ducted turbines. Video and forensic work eventually identified large male grey seals as the source.

Read with evidence →

Grey Seal | Daily Animal Facts