Evidence found
26,406 records across 19 countries and territories, 1879–2026.
Phoca vitulina · GBIF taxon key 2434793
Where has the harbor seal been recorded?
Phoca vitulina occurrence evidence comes from 26,406 records in 19 countries and territories, from 1879 to 2026. Most records come from Sweden.
- 26,406 records
- 19 places
- 119 years recorded
- Mammalia class
Observation evidence passport
Source coverage
CC0 GBIF Animalia occurrence facets, including country, month and year summaries.
Refreshed 2026-09-22. Inspect the taxon on GBIF.
What this means
The species has been recorded in the listed places in the stated source universe. Peak month: August.
7 months reach at least 10% of the peak facet count.
What this does not mean
repeated describes the record pattern, not a formal range, residency, abundance or conservation assessment.
A single record remains evidence of a recording, not proof that a population lives there.
Compare this animal’s observation pattern
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: August. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Records over time
18792026
Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.
Where harbor seal has been recorded
The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for harbor seal. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 19,837 | |
| United States | 3,668 | |
| Belgium | 1,278 | |
| Canada | 875 | |
| United Kingdom | 317 | |
| Norway | 272 | |
| Iceland | 38 | |
| Netherlands | 26 | |
| Denmark | 23 | |
| Germany | 20 | |
| France | 12 | |
| Mexico | 12 | |
| Ireland | 8 | |
| Russia | 8 | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 5 | |
| Isle of Man | 3 | |
| Japan | 2 | |
| China | 1 | |
| Greenland | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Phocidae.
ringed seal
11,471 records
southern elephant seal
7,072 records
leopard seal
6,302 records
Weddell seal
5,754 records
crabeater seal
4,238 records
harp seal
805 records
hooded seal
28 records
Record pattern: repeated
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.