Haul-outs, coasts and moult
Seals need quiet coasts to rest and breed.
Grey seals live around the North Atlantic: the Baltic, Iceland, northern Europe including the UK and Ireland, and the east coasts of Canada and the USA. Natural History Museum: Seals in the UK
Haul-outs
Both species haul out on coasts to rest, digest, socialise, moult and — for grey seals especially — to pup on remote beaches and islands. Mammal Society: Grey seal Harbour seals often pup on intertidal sandbanks or rocks that are only exposed for part of the tide. SMRU: Identifying seals leaflet
Moult months
Grey seals moult roughly from December to March. SMRU: Identifying seals leaflet Harbour seals moult roughly from July to September (often counted from the air in August). SMRU: Identifying seals leaflet
Scientists often count harbour seals from the air in August, when most are ashore for the moult.
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