How to Identify Seal in California
Yes, seals are found in California waters and along the coast. California hosts several seal species, with some living year-round and others appearing seasonally. Harbor seals are the most common and visible, especially in bays and rocky areas near Monterey Bay, Point Reyes, and the San Diego coast mentioned in the broader California seal guide. Identifying seals in the field requires knowing the key differences between California's seal species, their size, coloring, and behaviors. This guide covers the main identification features so you can distinguish seals from sea lions and recognize which species you have spotted.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
- 2
- species recorded
- April, January, March
- peak months
Real sighting data, source iNaturalist
32,607 verified observations on iNaturalist of seal have been recorded in California, most often in April, January, March.
When seal are recorded in California
Yes, seals are found in California waters and along the coast. California hosts several seal species, with some living year-round and others appearing seasonally. Harbor seals are the most common and visible, especially in bays and rocky areas near Monterey Bay, Point Reyes, and the San Diego coast mentioned in the broader California seal guide. Identifying seals in the field requires knowing the key differences between California's seal species, their size, coloring, and behaviors. This guide covers the main identification features so you can distinguish seals from sea lions and recognize which species you have spotted.
What is the difference between seals and sea lions?
Seals and sea lions are both pinnipeds, but they look and move differently. Seals have ear holes with no external ear flaps, short front flippers, and move by humping their bodies like caterpillars on land. Sea lions have visible external ears, longer front flippers, and can rotate their hind flippers forward to walk on all fours. In California, sea lions are louder, more social, and often haul out on docks and beaches in groups. Seals are quieter and tend to be more solitary or in smaller groups. If you see an animal with external ears and agile movement on land, it is likely a sea lion, not a seal.
Harbor seal identification
Harbor seals are California's most abundant seal species. They range from 4 to 6 feet long and weigh 100 to 300 pounds. Their coat color varies from brown to gray, with darker spots and blotches. Harbor seals have a rounded head, small nostrils that form a V-shape, and whiskers. Their eyes are large and dark. In water, they float high and often bob vertically like a bottle, showing only their head. On haul-out sites, they rest in tight groups but typically do not pile on top of each other as noisily as sea lions. Listen for quiet snorting or wheezing rather than barking.
Northern elephant seal identification
Northern elephant seals are California's largest seal species. Adult males can exceed 16 feet and weigh up to 7,200 pounds, while females are smaller at 8 to 10 feet. The defining feature is the large inflatable snout or proboscis on adult males, which resembles an elephant's trunk and is used for dominance displays and vocalizing. Females and young males lack the pronounced snout. Their coat is brown to gray, often showing scars. Elephant seals haul out on remote, sandy beaches and rocky shores. They spend most of the year at sea and return to California beaches seasonally for breeding and molting. You can observe them at Ano Nuevo State Park and Point Piedras Blancas along the central coast.
Leopard seal identification
Leopard seals are rare in California waters and are not residents. They are larger seals, reaching up to 10 feet long. They have elongated heads with powerful jaws, pointed snouts, and mottled gray coats with dark spots that resemble a leopard's pattern, hence the name. Their spots are more distinct than other California seals. Leopard seals live in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters and occasionally drift north to California during El Nino events or unusual oceanic conditions. Sightings are uncommon and newsworthy. If you spot a seal with a narrow, elongated head and a spotted pattern in California, report it to wildlife authorities or a local marine research organization.
How do you identify young seals and pups?
Seal pups are born on beaches and haul-outs during breeding seasons. Harbor seal pups are born in spring and early summer, weighing 20 to 24 pounds at birth. They are gray or brown, darker than adults, and lack the spots of mature seals. Pups stay on land for several weeks while nursing and learning to swim. Elephant seal pups are born larger, weighing 50 to 60 pounds, and are very dark in color. They nurse for only three to six weeks before being weaned and heading to sea. Do not approach seal pups, even if they appear abandoned or sick. A pup resting alone on a beach is often waiting for its mother to return. Contact a marine mammal stranding network if a pup appears injured or distressed.
Spotting seals in Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is one of California's premier seal viewing locations. Harbor seals haul out on the kelp beds, rocky outcrops, and sandy beaches around Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel. Look for them in small groups on rocks at low tide. The Monterey Bay Aquarium and nearby tour operators offer guided boat trips where you can observe seals up close. Elephant seals are also present in the bay, particularly during breeding and molting seasons from December to April. Binoculars help you identify species and observe behavior without disturbing the animals.
Where are seals found at Point Reyes?
Point Reyes National Seashore hosts multiple seal haul-out sites. Point Reyes Headlands and Drake's Bay are well-known for harbor seals. Point Benicia and Drakes Beach also have seal viewing areas. Elephant seals are present at Point Reyes during the pupping and molting seasons from December through March. Viewing areas are marked and roped off to protect the seals. Binoculars and a spotting scope are essential for safe and legal viewing. Tours departing from Bodega Bay also pass seals and sea lions. Some viewing sites close during pupping season to minimize disturbance.
Seals at the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands, located off the coast near Ventura and Santa Barbara, are home to harbor seals and island populations that include the endemic Channel Islands harbor seal subspecies. Boat tours to the islands provide opportunities to observe seals on beaches and rocky shores. Access to the Channel Islands is by tour boat from the mainland, and some landing sites are restricted during breeding and hauling seasons. Elephant seals and Steller sea lions also occur in the islands. The islands' remote beaches and rocky coves provide critical habitat for breeding and molting.
What do seal tracks and signs look like?
On sandy beaches or muddy haul-outs, seals leave distinctive tracks. Harbor seal tracks show short front flippers with five toes and rear flippers with four to five toes. The track pattern resembles a series of connected circles or humps from their horizontal body movement. Elephant seal tracks are much larger and deeper, showing the massive body weight. Scat from seals is dark, often containing fish scales and bones, and has a distinctive fishy smell. Breathing holes or pupping areas may show blood staining on ice or snow during breeding season. Rocky areas often show worn pathways where seals regularly haul out.
Can you identify seals by their calls and sounds?
Harbor seals are quieter than sea lions but produce distinctive underwater vocalizations during breeding season. Males sing complex songs that carry far underwater. On haul-outs, harbor seals may snort, sneeze, or wheeze softly. Elephant seals are much noisier, with males roaring, belching, and snorting loudly during breeding season. Females call their pups with barking sounds. Sea lions, by contrast, bark repeatedly and loudly on land. If you hear loud, repetitive barking from a beach or rocky area, you are likely hearing sea lions, not seals. Quiet snuffling and occasional splashing is more typical of seals.
Are spotted seals found in California?
Spotted seals are an Arctic species that live in ice-covered waters of the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. They are not residents of California waters. Their range is far north of California. Seals seen in California with spots are harbor seals, which naturally have blotched patterns, or rarely, leopard seals during unusual northern drift events. Refer to the harbor seal and leopard seal descriptions above for identification of spotted seals observed in California.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between seals and sea lions?+
Seals and sea lions are both pinnipeds, but they look and move differently. Seals have ear holes with no external ear flaps, short front flippers, and move by humping their bodies like caterpillars on land. Sea lions have visible external ears, longer front flippers, and can rotate their hind flippers forward to walk on all fours. In California, sea lions are louder, more social, and often haul out on docks and beaches in groups. Seals are quieter and tend to be more solitary or in smaller groups. If you see an animal with external ears and agile movement on land, it is likely a sea lion, not a seal.
How do you identify young seals and pups?+
Seal pups are born on beaches and haul-outs during breeding seasons. Harbor seal pups are born in spring and early summer, weighing 20 to 24 pounds at birth. They are gray or brown, darker than adults, and lack the spots of mature seals. Pups stay on land for several weeks while nursing and learning to swim. Elephant seal pups are born larger, weighing 50 to 60 pounds, and are very dark in color. They nurse for only three to six weeks before being weaned and heading to sea. Do not approach seal pups, even if they appear abandoned or sick. A pup resting alone on a beach is often waiting for its mother to return. Contact a marine mammal stranding network if a pup appears injured or distressed.
Where are seals found at Point Reyes?+
Point Reyes National Seashore hosts multiple seal haul-out sites. Point Reyes Headlands and Drake's Bay are well-known for harbor seals. Point Benicia and Drakes Beach also have seal viewing areas. Elephant seals are present at Point Reyes during the pupping and molting seasons from December through March. Viewing areas are marked and roped off to protect the seals. Binoculars and a spotting scope are essential for safe and legal viewing. Tours departing from Bodega Bay also pass seals and sea lions. Some viewing sites close during pupping season to minimize disturbance.
What do seal tracks and signs look like?+
On sandy beaches or muddy haul-outs, seals leave distinctive tracks. Harbor seal tracks show short front flippers with five toes and rear flippers with four to five toes. The track pattern resembles a series of connected circles or humps from their horizontal body movement. Elephant seal tracks are much larger and deeper, showing the massive body weight. Scat from seals is dark, often containing fish scales and bones, and has a distinctive fishy smell. Breathing holes or pupping areas may show blood staining on ice or snow during breeding season. Rocky areas often show worn pathways where seals regularly haul out.
Can you identify seals by their calls and sounds?+
Harbor seals are quieter than sea lions but produce distinctive underwater vocalizations during breeding season. Males sing complex songs that carry far underwater. On haul-outs, harbor seals may snort, sneeze, or wheeze softly. Elephant seals are much noisier, with males roaring, belching, and snorting loudly during breeding season. Females call their pups with barking sounds. Sea lions, by contrast, bark repeatedly and loudly on land. If you hear loud, repetitive barking from a beach or rocky area, you are likely hearing sea lions, not seals. Quiet snuffling and occasional splashing is more typical of seals.
Are spotted seals found in California?+
Spotted seals are an Arctic species that live in ice-covered waters of the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. They are not residents of California waters. Their range is far north of California. Seals seen in California with spots are harbor seals, which naturally have blotched patterns, or rarely, leopard seals during unusual northern drift events. Refer to the harbor seal and leopard seal descriptions above for identification of spotted seals observed in California.
Keep exploring
More wildlife in California