Gray Seal
Halichoerus grypus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyPhocidae (Earless Seals)
- GenusHalichoerus (Grey Seals)
- SpeciesHalichoerus grypus (Gray Seal)
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), or gray seal in the United States, is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or "earless seals". The only species classified in the genus Halichoerus, it is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin, Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is also known as the horsehead seal, owing to its large head. The grey seal is large and heavy, with individuals from the eastern Atlantic being 1.6–2.3 m (5 ft 3 in – 7 ft 7 in) long and weighing 100–310 kg (220–680 lb), while individuals from the western Atlantic are up to 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) long, and can reach a weight of as much as 400 kg (880 lb). It is found widely across the northern Atlantic, ranging from the US to Russia, and occasionally as far south as Portugal. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Seal sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 6 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Gray Seal in Vatnajokull National Park?
About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Seal sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gray Seal in Vatnajokull National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Gray Seal in Vatnajokull National Park in our monthly data.