Harbour Seal
Phoca vitulina
Sighting evidence at Svolvær Wall, Lofoten Islands
Photo: Andrew Reding · CC BY-NC-ND
Harbour seals haul out on the rocky islets surrounding Svolvær and regularly enter the water to investigate divers on the wall, often spiralling around dive groups at high speed before pausing to make eye contact at close range. They are highly intelligent predators that use the wall's vertical habitat to ambush small fish and invertebrates, and individuals maintain consistent home ranges around the harbour. Pup season in June and July brings particularly bold young animals that have not yet learned to be wary of large objects underwater.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Harbour Seal is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.