They are easily spotted at the surface close to shore or 'hauled out' onto rocks and beaches to rest or digest their food. In recent years, the number of gray seals in New England seems to have grown. They enjoy laying out on rocks and as a result tend to spend a good amount of time on beaches or jettys. Grey seals are attentive mothers and defend their pups against predation and intrusion. It is not yet clear if the Canadian population is simply growing and moving south, or if there are other, environmental factors at work. Highly adaptable and widespread, they are also found in the subarctic and temperate areas of the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Some areas of the ocean provide better shelter and food. Learn about seals, including harp seals, hooded seals, harbor seals, grey seals, bearded seals, and ringed seals here. Seals are pinnipeds. During the winter months Grey seals can be seen hauled out on the rocks, islands and shoals not far from shore like great grey bananas in the sun and occasionally coming ashore to rest. Learn about the cruel, ecologically irresponsible, and totally unnecessary seal hunt on Harpseals.org.

There are three stocks of gray seals worldwide: the western North Atlantic stock (eastern Canada and the northeastern United States), the eastern North Atlantic stock (Great Britain, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Russia), and the Baltic Sea stock. The seals normally travel ashore to give birth. Grey seals do not perform seasonal migrations nor travel much, but young individuals may disperse widely and tend to wander off from their birth colony.

Gray seals are endemic to the North Atlantic, ranging from the Baltic, Western Europe to Canada and Northeastern United States. Harp seals are the victims of the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world: the Canadian seal hunt. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus atlantica), are the most commonly spotted seals on Stellwagen Bank. Grey seals breed in a variety of habitats where disturbance is minimal, including rocky shores, sandbars, ice flows and islands. These animals may migrate to NE. A very large mammal, the grey seal spends most of its time out at sea where it feeds on fish.

If the seals get interrupted or scared, due to hunting for example, they migrate to a more desirable location. If the seals get interrupted or scared, due to hunting for example, they migrate to a more desirable location. Facts about seals.
Gray Seals migrate for a couple reasons: food, shelter, and mating. Grey seals also come ashore to give birth, with large colonies breeding on sandy shores on the east coast of England and on remote beaches and islands elsewhere. From March to May, the grey seals migrate from the colony to scars and reefs where they shed their hairs.The grey seal does not travel much, except for the youngest seals which tend to wonder off from their birth colony. Grey seals feed in cold open waters.


Gray seals are found across the North Atlantic in coastal areas from New York to the Baltic Sea.