Two short accounts of seals showing up in somewhat unexpected places. 

Recently, a large seal was spotted in York, in the UK, basking in the sun on the Yorkshire Dales.  Apparently, the wayward seal swam 50 miles through Britain’s river network from the North Sea in pursuit of fish. Experts suggest that the seal become lost and disorientated after chasing a salmon or sea trout upstream. Or perhaps the seal just wanted to visit York.

On the other side of the pond, in New York harbor, a baby seal have been seen flopping about on the Jersey City side of the harbor recently. While seals were once common, they more or less disappeared from the harbor in the 20th century due to pollution and habitat destruction. They have been slowly returning in the current century, much to the delight and in some cases alarm of local residents. In the video below, from Wild Jersey City, the baby seal is hauling out on the old pier slipway next to Liberty State Park headquarters in Jersey City.  Several different seals have been seen enjoying this spot.

Baby Seal at Liberty State Park

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.