hey, hey, don’t cry. seals are recolonizing the tidal zone of the Thames River in London, okay?
I thought I’d add more info here! They’re grey seals (and some common harbor seals) which are generally less aggressive than other seal species and smaller than sea lions or elephant seals. They are curious little guys and can get themselves in trouble crawling up boat ramps and going places they don’t belong but they’re usually pretty chill, just don’t bother them and they won’t bother you. They live in colonies throughout the British Isles, from the Thames estuary to costal Wales to Rona off the coast of Scotland! They were once found in abundance in the area that is now London but the pollution lead to a near complete ecological death of the river and seals were extremely rare in Victorian times. The improved water quality and flourishing of native fish populations has lured them back in abundance.
If you want to see seals in the Thames, it is better to go in the winter, when they are more likely to ‘haul out’ and rest and hang out on dry land.
