The Best Places In America Where You Can See Seals (Other Than California), According To Travelers

Encyclopedia Britannica states that there are 32 species of seals scattered across the globe, with a handful calling North America home. Hawaii has its own endemic species, the Hawaiian monk seal, and gargantuan elephant seals can be seen on the West Coast — in fact, one of the best wildlife experiences in California, Piedras Blancas Rookery, offers free and up close views of these giant seals. 

While California is one of the most well-known destination to see wild seals, from sea lions to elephant seals, the U.S. seal populations are spread across the country's West, East, and Alaskan coasts, to name a few key locations. Alternative destinations to Piedras Blancas Rookery or the docks of San Francisco might just provide a more authentic experience and sightseeing of seals in their natural habitats.

This list introduces U.S. states where seal populations have been recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with specific seal-viewing spots recommended by locals and travelers online. When available, supplementary information from official tourism websites has also been included.

California isn't the only West Coast state where you'll find seals lounging about the harbors. The latest estimations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest over 16,000 harbor seals live along the shores of Oregon and Washington. Washington, however, stands out as a prime seal-watching destination because harbor seals don't just like to swim in the Pacific Ocean. You'll spot them far into inland canals and rivers — and you don't even need to leave the comfort of urban Seattle to see them.

Seattle residents in the r/Seattle subreddit overwhelmingly recommend the Ballard Locks, officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Situated in one of Seattle's best neighborhoods, the Ballard Locks are a lovely place to stroll on a warm afternoon. Look down at the water to catch sight of seals catching fish and swimming to and from Lake Washington.

Outside the city limits, you can also spot seals from the beaches of Olympic National Park. National Park Service officials confirm that seal pods stay relatively close to the shores there. Steller's Sea Lion, the largest species of sea lion in the world, can commonly be seen in the water in late summer and early fall.

Marine life in Alaska moves around a lot. Depending on where you're headed, many travelers and locals in the r/AskAlaska subreddit recommend booking a tour if you can — this is your best chance to get close to harbor, elephant, or northern fur seals in the wild, and tour guides will know where the seal pods are congregating on the land or in the sea in a practice called "hauling out." This said, Seward is a frequent recommendation to travelers, along with its SeaLife Center, where visitors can get as close to seals as ever. You can also join tours from the town port for a chance to see seals in their natural habitats, and there's a decent chance you'll spot seals driving to and from there.

On the other side of the Kenai Fjords National Park, the harbor in Homer sometimes welcomes some seals seeking a temporary refuge from open waters. As one Reddit user said, "Wander the Spit and the Harbor and watch for seals and otters. When you drive in to Homer be sure to stop at the overlook at the top of Baycrest before you reach town (especially if there is any visibility at all)."

Kenai Fjords National Park has a few spots where you're more likely to spot seals, especially in June, August, and September, when many harbor seals will be out of the water. It can take a fair amount of trekking to get there, but the NPS shares that the glaciers near Porcupine Cove, Spire Cove, and Aialik Bay are said to be home to a good number of seals that haul out regularly.

Overwhelmingly, Poipu Beach on Kauai is the top recommended destination to spot Hawaiian monk seals according to r/VisitingHawaii. Glass Beach, in Kauai's industrial area, has also been known to host monk seals in the past. Hawaii is the only U.S. state where you can see this variety of seals. Sadly, Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered species of seals in the world, per Hawai'i Marine Animal Response. This means that the chances of seeing one in the wild are slimmer than in other places on this list. If you do happen to see a monk seal during your trip, report your sighting to Hawai'i Marine Animal Response to help wildlife organizations track and protect the monk seal population.

If snorkeling is on your itinerary, you may be one of the lucky ones to spot a monk seal swim near you, as highlighted on Reddit — but be warned that keeping your distance is crucial. Monk seals love their personal space, and though they likely won't go out of their way to interact with you, they also won't hesitate to attack if they feel you're getting between them and a pup. Every so often, aggressive monk seal behavior toward humans will be reported on Hawaiian new sites like Beat of Hawaii, but these are all cases where people are getting too close to the animals.

Hawaiian monk seals are a protected species, and disturbing them or their environment can lead to legal fines. Residents and government officials plead with visitors not to touch, feed, or bother the seals in any way if they happen to cross paths with them.

If you thought seals could only be seen on the West Coast, think again. According to NOAA's 2023 report for the Atlantic Ocean region, Massachusetts has the largest tracked population of gray seals on the East Coast. In 2015, the gray seal population in the eastern U.S. was estimated to be over 28,000.

Cape Cod is, without a doubt, one of the best places in Massachusetts to see seals, according to New England Wanderlust. These are areas where the seals decide to spend their time on land, and they can vary from year to year, though some spots have seen seal populations visit and stay more than others. 

The National Park Service's list of hot spots includes Long Point and Provincetown Harbor on the park's northern coasts, Coast Guard Beach in Eastham and Nauset Harbor on the eastern shores, and Pleasant Bay and Chatham Harbor in southeastern areas of the park.

This New England state also sees its fair share of seals — in fact, seals are among the most-spotted marine mammals in Maine, per the Department of Marine Resources. They are more elusive than those you can find in the other states on this list, though. Maine is actually host to four seal species: Year-round, harbor seals and gray seals live in its waters, and seal-watchers can occasionally sight harp seals or hooded seals. Recommendations were scattered on the best seal-watching spots in the state, but the Acadia National Park was mentioned by quite a few travelers. Locals also recommended Lubec, America's easternmost town, best known for its seaside charm and laidback vibes.

Because Main's seal population never stays put in the same area, joining charter tours is your best bet for sightings during your trip. Sail Acadia is one of the top things to do in Southwest Harbor according to Tripadvisor, with a solid score of 4.8 and nearly 300 5-star reviews. A recent traveler wrote on Tripadvisor, "We had a perfect, beautiful evening! We saw seals, porpoises, and a very stunning sunset!" In Lubec, Downeast Charter Boat Tours is recommended by the town's official tourism website, and here too, recent travelers on Tripadvisor reported seeing harbor seals during their outing.

The states and locations mentioned in this article were collected from a variety of sources. Opinions from official locals, travelers, and experts were pulled from websites like Reddit and Tripadvisor as well as selected travel blogs. For the sake of relevancy, only information published within the last two years was considered for anybody planning a trip in the near future. 

Additional information, such as local rules, as stated on government and official websites, was then added to provide useful or contextual information and to correct any misleading or outdated remarks in the original sources. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's most recent reports were essential to giving more scientific information for each of the selected states.

Priority was given to destinations where seal pods tend to stay put all year long; in other words, pods that do not migrate. Travelers should keep in mind that it's never fully possible to predict where the animals will be, despite local efforts to keep track of seals and their whereabouts. It's best to plan a trip where a sighting would be a highlight, but it shouldn't be the sole purpose of your vacation.