Harbor Seal

Also known as the common seal, the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) is the smaller of the two breeding seals in Great Britain. When hauled out it often adopts a characteristic 'head-up, tail-up' posture. The colour is variable, ranging from black-grey to sandy brown with many small spots. The top of the small head is round and the nostrils form a ‘V'. Males are often darker in colour than females and have a heavier appearance. The white natal coat of the young is shed inside the uterus; pups are therefore born with their first adult coat.