Harbour Seal - Phoca vitulina

Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) are a small seal around 1.3 - 1.9m in length. They are highly variable in body fur colour, ranging from pale to dark, and are uniformly speckled throughout. Key identification features include 'v'-shaped nostrils and a stepped forehead  (fig. 1) in comparison to grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) with parallel nostrils and a smooth, flat face and muzzle. Along the East coast, habitat for harbour seal includes sand flats, tidal estuaries, and rocky coastline. Harbour seal will feed out at sea in fairly shallow waters near their haul out site on various fish such as sandeel, herring and sprat alongside squid and some crustaceans (Couzens et al, 2017). Harbour seals can live between 20-30 years (NatureScot, 2024).

Range & Distribution:
For seal counts, the east coast is considered from Fraserburgh down to Aberlady Bay. Harbour seal numbers on the east coast have been in decline since the 1990s with recent counts giving a decline of 53.6% from 2007 to 2013 - 459 seals in 2007 vs 213 in 2013 (fig. 2 & 3) (Duck & Morris, 2014; Thompson et al, 2019; NatureScot, 2024).
The North East Scotland Bird Reports 2017-2022 (linked below) detail records of harbour seal along the East Coast in areas such as St Cyrus, Girdle Ness and along the lower stretches of the Dee and the Don. There is a haul out at Donmouth, with records of 20+ individuals seen in the area in 2021 and 2022.

Conservation Status:
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Priority Marine Species (BRIG, 2007)
Scottish Biodiversity List: Priority Marine Species (NatureScot, 2020a)
Harbour seal are a Priority Marine Feature (PMF), meaning they are of primary concern for marine nature conservation in Scotland (NatureScot, 2020b. They are also protected under the Habitat Regulations 1994.
The southern section of the East Coast is designated as a Seal Conservation Area under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, designed to protect harbour seal populations in the area (fig. 4).

Factors affecting species
Despite the introduction of the Seal Conservation Area, harbour seal populations along the east coast have continued to decline. Population declines have been attributed to reduced reproduction rates alongside a decrease in adult survival (Arso Civil et al, 2019; Thompson et al, 2019). 
Human threats to harbour seal include entanglement with fishing gear, disturbance at haul out sites, and potential   impacts from climate change such as change in prey availability or distribution. Harbour seal also may be facing a number of natural threats such as competition from grey seals, as there is an overlap in diet and distribution between harbour and grey seals. Harbour seal numbers on the west coast are increasing, whilst the east coast harbour seals are in decline. With an increase in grey seal numbers recorded along the east coast as well, this could indicate there is some competition for food or other resource. Harbour seal are also vulnerable to predation from grey seal and orca (Arso Civil et al, 2019; NatureScot, 2024).

Conservation Efforts:
The Harbour Seal Decline Project was set up by the Sea Mammal Research Unit to monitor populations of harbour seals, estimating survival and birth rates whilst also looking at some of the threats faced by harbour seal - such as prey availability, grey seal predation, and exposure to algal toxins (Arso CIvil et al, 2019).

Report any sightings to NESBReC via the link below.