The verdict
Best places to dive with harbour seals
Phoca vitulina
The most reliable place to dive with harbour seals is La Jolla / San Diego, from All year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 1 of 10 at peak | February: 1 of 10 at peak | March: 1 of 10 at peak | April: 0 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 1 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 3 of 10 at peak | September: 1 of 10 at peak | October: 1 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 1 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only
Based on 8,615 OBIS records of harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) within 60 km of 13 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with harbour seals
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 26 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 2 | Puget Sound | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 26 years | Shore |
| 3 | Alaska | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 4 | Monterey | USA | All year | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Shore |
| 5 | Silfra | Iceland | Aug, Oct, Dec | Near-guaranteed | 11 of 18 years | Shore |
| 6 | Catalina Island | USA | All year | Likely | 19 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 7 | Vancouver Island | Canada | Jun, Aug–Sep | Likely | 13 of 24 years | Day boat, Shore |
| 8 | Newfoundland | Canada | All year | Likely | 11 of 29 years | Day boat |
| 9 | Channel Islands | USA | Jan–Mar | Likely | 11 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 10 | Scapa Flow | Scotland | May, Aug | Likely | 16 of 32 years | Day boat |
Also on record at Ireland, Farne Islands and Cornwall.
When to dive with harbour seals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Puget Sound | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Alaska | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Monterey | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Silfra | Jan: Not common | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Not common | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Not common | Dec: Peak season |
| Catalina Island | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Vancouver Island | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Not common | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Peak season | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Newfoundland | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Possible | Sep: Possible | Oct: Possible | Nov: Possible | Dec: Possible |
| Channel Islands | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Scapa Flow | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Not common | Oct: Possible | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
Peak season Possible Not common
Harbour seal month by month
- January
- Season starts at Channel Islands.
- February
- Best at Channel Islands.
- March
- Last peak month at Channel Islands.
- April
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is La Jolla / San Diego.
- May
- The one peak month at Scapa Flow.
- June
- The one peak month at Vancouver Island.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is La Jolla / San Diego.
- August
- The one peak month at Silfra. Also good at Vancouver Island and Scapa Flow.
- September
- Last peak month at Vancouver Island.
- October
- The one peak month at Silfra.
- November
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is La Jolla / San Diego.
- December
- The one peak month at Silfra.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months harbour seals are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Jolla / San Diego | All year | 15–22 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Puget Sound | All year | 8–14 °C | Drysuit |
| Alaska | All year | 6–14 °C | Drysuit |
| Monterey | All year | 12–16 °C | Drysuit |
What else you'll see with harbour seals
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
California sea lion
At La Jolla / San Diego, Puget Sound and 4 more
Grey whale
At La Jolla / San Diego, Puget Sound and 4 more
Orca
At Alaska, Monterey and 3 more
Ocean sunfish
At La Jolla / San Diego, Monterey and 2 more
Minke whale
At Alaska, Silfra and 2 more
Sardine
At La Jolla / San Diego, Monterey and Catalina Island
Diving with harbour seals: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with harbour seals?
- The most reliable place to dive with harbour seals is La Jolla / San Diego, from All year.
- When is the best time to dive with harbour seals?
- August, when 3 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: La Jolla / San Diego peaks All year; Puget Sound peaks All year; Alaska peaks All year.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with harbour seals?
- At La Jolla / San Diego from All year, the water is 15 °C to 22 °C, so bring a 7 mm semi-dry.
- How many places can you dive with harbour seals?
- besttimetodive.com has harbour seals on record at 13 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.