The verdict
Best places to dive with grey seals
Halichoerus grypus
The most reliable place to dive with grey seals is Farne Islands, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 2 of 5 at peak | February: 2 of 5 at peak | March: 2 of 5 at peak | April: 2 of 5 at peak | May: 3 of 5 at peak | June: 3 of 5 at peak | July: 4 of 5 at peak | August: 4 of 5 at peak | September: 3 of 5 at peak | October: 3 of 5 at peak | November: 2 of 5 at peak | December: 2 of 5 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak
Based on 9,738 OBIS records of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) within 60 km of 5 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with grey seals
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farne Islands | UK | All year | Near-guaranteed | 29 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 2 | Scapa Flow | Scotland | May–Jun, Aug | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 3 | Cornwall | UK | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 4 | Ireland | Ireland | Jul, Sep | Likely | 10 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 5 | Silfra | Iceland | Jul–Aug, Oct | Hit-or-miss | 5 of 18 yearsfew records | Shore |
When to dive with grey seals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farne Islands | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Scapa Flow | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cornwall | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Peak season | Dec: Peak season |
| Ireland | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Possible | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Silfra | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Not common | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Possible | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Grey seal month by month
- January
- Best at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- February
- Best at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- March
- Best at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- April
- Best at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- May
- Season starts at Scapa Flow. Also good at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- June
- Last peak month at Scapa Flow. Also good at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- July
- The one peak month at Ireland. Also good at Silfra, Farne Islands and 1 more.
- August
- The one peak month at Scapa Flow. Also good at Silfra, Farne Islands and 1 more.
- September
- The one peak month at Ireland. Also good at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- October
- The one peak month at Silfra. Also good at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- November
- Best at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
- December
- Best at Farne Islands and Cornwall.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months grey seals are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farne Islands | All year | 7–15 °C | Drysuit |
| Scapa Flow | May–Jun, Aug | 9–13 °C | Drysuit |
| Cornwall | All year | 10–17 °C | Drysuit |
| Ireland | Jul, Sep | 14–15 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
What else you'll see with grey seals
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
Diving with grey seals: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with grey seals?
- The most reliable place to dive with grey seals is Farne Islands, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with grey seals?
- July to August, when 4 of the 5 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Farne Islands peaks All year; Scapa Flow peaks May to June, August; Cornwall peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with grey seals?
- At Farne Islands from All year, the water is 7 °C to 15 °C, so bring a drysuit.
- How many places can you dive with grey seals?
- besttimetodive.com has grey seals on record at 5 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.