Maine’s island-studded coast is prime harbor-seal country. Scan ledges and bars exposed at low tide around Frenchman Bay, Mount Desert Island, and other sheltered reaches of the Gulf of Maine; watch from shore or a respectful distance on the water so resting seals are not driven from their haul-outs.
Harbor seals can be seen throughout the year, but Maine records rise sharply from May through August, overlapping the pupping and summer haul-out season. The especially large GBIF total includes repeated survey and monitoring records, so it should not be read as a direct population count.
Full species profile
