Seals in Norfolk: 6 Best Places for Seal Watching (& Map)

Best guide to how to see Norfolk seals.

A trip to see the seals in Norfolk is one of the best days out you can have in the East of England.  Experience seals in their natural habitat and enjoy the rugged Norfolk coastline.  

Having lived in East Anglia for years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit multiple seal-watching spots across the area. This article will cover all the best places to see these cute but fierce mammals in the wild plus tips on how to see the seals in Norfolk by public transport. I’ve also included a short film I made on one of my recent trips seal spotting in Norfolk.

I’ll cover the details of all the best places to see the seals in Norfolk but if you’re short on time, my two favourite places to see the seals in Norfolk are at Blakeney Point and Horsey.

6 best places to see seals in Norfolk

In a hurry? The best places to see the seals in Norfolk are Blakeney Point, Horsey Beach, and Winterton-on-Sea.

Norfolk is one of the best places in the UK to see seals in the wild, and I feel fortunate to live in the region, making regular trips to watch these incredible creatures.

Seeing the Norfolk seals bobbing in the water, or sprawled across the sand, is always a special sight.

That said, seal watching in Norfolk isn’t always as idyllic as it sounds. On a recent trip, I counted ten dead seals before I saw any live ones. A stark reminder of nature’s harsh reality. If you do come across a dead seal, don’t touch it.

Despite this, watching Norfolk’s seals thrive in such large numbers is a pleasure, and I never tire of seeing them in their natural habitat.

1. Blakeney Point and Morston seals

One of the top places to see the seals in Norfolk is Blakeney Point.  Here you can see beautiful grey seals basking on the shingle. Over 4000 seal pups are born annually here.

In order to protect the seals, from the end of October to the middle of January access is restricted to the area of Blakeney Point where the seals come ashore during pupping season.    

To see the seals, take a Blakeney Point seal watching boat trip from Morston Quay. If you travel without a car you can easily reach Morston on the CH1 bus from the nearby towns of Sheringham and Cromer.

It was bitterly cold on my trip on the Blakeney boat though, so remember to wrap up warm.

2. Horsey Beach seals

The grey seals at Horsey are protected by the closure of the beach during seal pupping season (November to end of January). However, you can still see the Horsey seals from land by using the viewing areas. 

You’ll find members of Friends of Horsey Seals at Horsey beach to answer your seal-related questions. 

Horsey beach is a popular place to see seals in Norfolk so expect crowds during pupping season.

Outside of seal pupping season, you can walk along the sand of Horsey beach and see the seals, swimming in the sea or relaxing on the sand.

Pro Tip: Keep at least 10 metres away from seals so that they don’t feel threatened.  Close proximity of humans to a seal can cause a mother seal to leave her young.

4. Winterton-on-Sea seals

Winterton beach sits approximately 5.5 km south of Horsey beach and although you’re likely to find fewer seals here than at Horsey, there are also fewer people.

The walk up from Winterton-on-Sea to Horsey is a lovely stroll. As you get close to Horsey you should start to see more seals.

To reach Winterton-on-Sea, take the Coastal Clipper bus #1 from Great Yarmouth. Journey time is 40 minutes.

4. Hunstanton seals

You can see common seals at Hunstanton during the summer.  Head out to the Wash on Searls Seal Safari, which crosses land and sea to find the seals, April to October. Ticket price is from £22.

There’s also a seal hospital, at the Hunstanton Sea Life Aquarium.

5. Waxham Beach

35 minutes walk north of Horsey Gap is a quieter option for seal-watching, at Waxham beach. Whilst Waxham isn’t part of the main seal pupping area at Horsey, it’s close enough that it’s also possible to spot seals here. 

6. Scrooby Sands (Great Yarmouth)

Jet Adventures offer a seal-watching boat trip from Heritage Quay, South Pier, Lowestoft and out to see the seals at Scrooby Sands, near Great Yarmouth.

Ticket price is from £46 adults, £42 children.

Best time of year to see seals in Norfolk

The great thing about seal watching in Norfolk, is that you’re likely to be able to see seals in Norfolk for most of the year.

The pupping season for the colonies follows the coast around to the east throughout the year.   It starts at Hunstanton during the summer months and continues on through Blakeney, then down the coast to Horsey beach.

The busiest time of the year to see the seals in Norfolk at Horsey is from November to January. However, I’ve been to Horsey in late summer and seen plenty of seals on the beach. 

If you’re not concerned with seeing seal pups, a boat trip to Blakeney Point provides the opportunity to see a seal colony in Norfolk throughout the year.

How to see the seals in Norfolk by public transport

Three key bus routes which run the Norfolk coast are useful for seal spotting:

• The #36 Coast Liner runs from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton.
• The Coast Hopper bus follows the coastline from Wells to North Walsham.  There are stops at Cley, Blakeney and Morston. 
• The Coastal Clipper route covers the Lowestoft to Winterton stretch of the Norfolk coast.
• Train stations are located at Kings Lynn, Sheringham, and Great Yarmouth.

Norfolk seal watching boat trips in 2025

One of the most popular ways to see the seals in Norfolk is to take a boat trip. Booking in advance is advised. 

Note that there’s a tidal harbour at Blakeney so seal-watching trip timings are determined by the tide.  Check websites for the latest sailing times.

Blakeney seal watching trips

Beans Boats

• Daily departures from April to October and less frequent but regular departures during other months.
• Depart from Morston Quay. 
• Ticket price: £25 adults, £15 children.

Bishops

• April to October.
• Depart from Morston Quay. 
• Ticket price: £20 adults, £10 children.

John Bean Boat Trips

• Year-round, check the website for latest times.
• Depart from Morston Quay. 
• Ticket price: £20 adults, £10 children.

Ptarmigan

• Spring and summer only, usually starting from the first week in April.
• Depart from Morston Quay. 
• Ticket price: £20 adults, £10 children.

Temples

• Year-round, check the website for latest times.
• Depart from Morston Quay. 
• Ticket price: £25 adults, £15 children

Norfolk seals boat trip film

Here’s a one minute guide I made during the seal watching boat trip I went on at Blakeney Point. Find out what it’s actually like on a seal spotting boat trip.

Map of best seal watching places in Norfolk