Harbour /Common Seals (Phoca Vitulina)

The Harbour Seal is also known as the Common Seal and has lived at Teesmouth for hundreds of years, hence the name Seal Sands. At the start of the 19th Century they was a population of approximately 1000 seals living and breeding at Teesmouth. However this number rapidly declined over the years with the Industrial Revolution and the increased in use of chemicals. In fact not one seal was recorded during a survey undertaken in the 1930s and it was feared that these animals had gone for good.

During the 1960s seals were been seen around the estuary in ones and twos, but most were Grey Seals. The Harbour Seal did reapear and by the mid 1980s approximately seventeen were recorded. At about the same time the first seal pup was seen in the estuary for nearly 100 years and it was hoped that the seals were back for good.

The Harbour Seal pups are born from mid June to early August and can often be seen with their mothers on the sand banks at Seal Sands. A single pup is born in the interval between low and high tide. It is a dark coloured, usually wet and shiny not like the fluffy white pups of other seals.

In 2005, we had seven Harbour Seal pups successfully reared at Teesmouth and and this year we had a record eight.

Atlantic Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus)

The Grey Seals seen at Teesmouth are thought to commute between the Wash in Lincolnshire and the Farne Islands in Northumberland. The Grey Seals prefer rocky habitats which are not found within the Teesmouth area, so they leave to breed in the Autumn and Winter. Although it is still possible to see Grey Seals all the year round at Teesmouth because a few non-breeding animals do stay to enjoy the fishing and sunbathing on Teesside.

Latest Seal News

In this section of the page we publish the numbers of Seals seen during our Recreational Visits and Seal Watches.

Saturday 31st October 2009 - 18 Common Seals were resting at Greatham Creek Bridge.

Saturday 5th September 2009 - A total of 65 seals were present on Seal Sands at low tide. 59 Common Seals & 6 Grey Seals.

Saturday 22nd August 2009 - Approximately 70 Seals present on Seal Sands at low tide.

Saturday 11th July 2009 - Nine Common Seal pups have been born at Seal Sands this year.

Sunday 5th July 2009 - Five Common Seal pups were counted at Greatham Creek Bridge today.

Sunday 19th April 2009 - 31 Common Seals were resting on the mud at Greatham Creek Bridge this afternoon.

Sunday 29th March 2009 - 44 Common Seal and 3 Grey Seals were resting on Seal Sands.

Friday 13th February 2009 - 1 Common Seal seen off Hartlepool Headland. (TBC member)

Thursday 1st January 2009 - 1 Grey Seal seen in the sea off Marine Drive, Hartlepool.

Cetacean News

The Cleveland coast has proved to be a good area for Cetaceans over recent years, with groups of Harbour Porpoises regularly seen from Hartlepool Headland. If you do see anything of interest, please e-mail Julie Mason, Honorary Secretary of the Teesmouth Field Centre (juliemason@redmire1.freeserve.co.uk).

Saturday 31st October 2009 - 4 Harbour Porpoise feeding in Hartlepool Bay north side of North Gare Breakwater.

Friday 11th September 2009 - 15 Habour Porpoise including 1 calf seen off Hartlepool Headland (TBC members)

Sunday 19th April 2009 - 1 Harbour Porpoise was found dead, washed up on Seal Sands (TBC member)

Saturday 28th January 2009 - 6 Harbour Porpoise were seen off Hartlepool Headland. (DBC members)

Monday 23rd January 2009 - 12 Bottlenose Dolphins were seen feeding off South Gare. (TBC members)