19 Grey Seal Facts That Will Surprise You

1. Seals do not drink seawater. They get all their hydration from the moisture in the fish they eat.
2. During the breeding season, males can go without eating for over 50 days, living entirely off their blubber. 
3. Pups are born with a fluffy white coat called lanugo, which they shed within a few weeks as they grow waterproof fur.
4. Grey seals can dramatically slow their heart rate while diving, dropping from around 100 beats per minute at the surface to as low as 10 or less underwater. This helps them conserve oxygen, allowing them to stay submerged for extended periods while hunting.
5. They often produce a wide range of vocal sounds, including grunts, growls and eerie underwater calls, especially during breeding season.
6. Males compete for females through dramatic underwater displays and loud vocalisations rather than constant physical fighting.
7. Grey seals can rotate their hind flippers forward on land, giving them a surprising level of agility when moving over rocks.
8. Male grey seals can reach over 300 kg, roughly the weight of a grand piano.
9. They can grow to more than 2.5 metres in length, similar to the size of a small family car.
10. They are capable of diving to depths over 300 metres, about the height of the Eiffel Tower upright.
11. Seal pups are born weighing around 10–15 kg, similar to a Labrador puppy.
12. Their thick layer of blubber can be several centimetres deep, acting like a built-in wetsuit that is far more effective than any human-made version.
13. They can swim faster than most humans can cycle, yet on land they progress at what can only be described as “enthusiastic wobbling”.
14. They can consume several kilograms of fish in a single day, roughly the weight of a bowling ball.
15. They tend to swallow their prey whole underwater rather than chewing, making feeding quick and efficient.
16. Female grey seals do most of the parenting alone, while males generally head off once breeding is over, no co-parenting awards here.
17. In seal society, physical size often matters more than charm, making it one of the least romantic dating scenes in the animal kingdom.
18. Any “bonding time” is usually interrupted by food, competition, or someone deciding to dive away mid-conversation.
19. Despite their size, their internal organs are tightly arranged to allow flexibility and pressure resistance while diving deep.

Come and Sea Them for Yourself

Grey seals are one of the most reliable wildlife encounters on our trips, we spot them on around 95% of our Seal Safari boat trips, year round. If you’d like to meet them in person, book your trip here.