Seal spotting on the Coast
Photos – Info – Weather – Tips – Geo Info – Starry sky [- Tides]
General information about Seal Spotting on the Coast
Seal spotting on the Coast? Really? Yes indeed! You can go from along to see more seals on the Flemish Coast & the Opal Coast. They can be seen at their best when resting on a sandbank. A fun idea for a family outing. By the way, did you know that a seal normally lives to about 25 years old (although there have been cases of as many as 30 years) and are actually solitary animals?
In these places you have a good chance of seeing them at relatively close range :
- Ostend, Belgium: 't Klein Strand, breakwaters
- Nieuwpoort, Belgium: harbor channel
- Dunkirk, Opal Coast: lighthouse "Feu de Saint-Pol"
- Berck, Opal Coast: Marina (see for example the photos on Tourisme Côte d'Opale)
Did you know that in December 2025, no fewer than forty seals were found dead on various beaches along the Opal Coast? The exact cause of death is still unclear. More information can be found in articles in the French-language northern French newspaperLa Voix du Nord.
Internet information from and about Seal Spotting on the Coast
Wikipedia page about
– seals ( NL – FR – EN)
Natuurpunt article about seals.
Want to know where in Belgium seals have recently been spotted by nature lovers? See waarnemingen.be.
Visitor Tips Seal Spotting on the Coast
General tips:
1) if you are looking for other nearby attractions, consult our Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen.
2) You can consult our overview lists: by category ( e.g. timeline, size, ...) or by region
3) You can also always consult tourist services: see our overview of tourist services
Tip 1: If you want to learn more about the life of seals, you can also visit SEA LIFE seal sanctuary in Blankenberge. If you see a washed up, injured, ... seal you can always call their SOS Rescue Team: this is the number of the seal phone: 0477345890. See also the Facebook page "Ostend, keeper of the seals".
Tip #2: Never approach seals from too close. There have been cases where the mother abandons her baby seal because she was startled by people coming too close. Keep your distance! It is recommended to keep at least 30 meters distance. So for photographers, bring your telephoto lens (at least a 400 mm is recommended).
Tip 3: the best times to spot seals is about 1.5 to 2 hours before high tide. If you want to know if it is low or high tide, consult for example this website (in the upper right corner you can enter the name of the seaside town). Some examples: Ostend, Nieuwpoort, Berck and Dunkirk.
Tip 4: Remember that seals are wild animals. They look very cuddly but have sharp teeth! If you have a dog along (which is not recommended), be sure to keep him/her on a leash!
Geographical information
Address: Digue du Braek, Dunkirk, Hauts-de-France, France
Geographical coordinates:
- Google Maps: Latitude = 51.0585659 - Longitude = 2.3449082
- Open Street Maps: Latitude = 51.056792 - Longitude = 2.343193
- Altitude h = m
Indication of Seal Spotting on the Coast on:
Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen - Google Maps - OpenStreetMap.
Route to Seal Spotting on the Coast: Route via Google Maps
Meteo
6°C
| Day | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
22:00
|
 light rain
|
5° | 7°°C | 0.28 mm | 28% | 23 Km/h | 97 % | 1014 mb |
|
Tomorrow
22:00
|
light rain
|
8° | 10°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 50 Km/h | 92 % | 1009 mb |
|
Fri Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
light rain
|
6° | 9°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 40 Km/h | 91 % | 1013 mb |
|
Sat Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 light rain
|
6° | 7°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 13 Km/h | 97 % | 1017 mb |
|
Sun Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 cloudy
|
4° | 7°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 21 Km/h | 95 % | 1017 mb |
| Hour | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
13:00
|
 very light cloud cover
|
5° | 6°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 7 Km/h | 97 % | 1014 mb |
|
Today
16:00
|
slightly cloudy
|
6° | 7°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 16 Km/h | 94 % | 1014 mb |
|
Today
19:00
|
 partly cloudy
|
7° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 18 Km/h | 97 % | 1012 mb |
|
Today
22:00
|
light rain
|
8° | 8°°C | 0.28 mm | 28% | 23 Km/h | 93 % | 1011 mb |
|
Tomorrow
01:00
|
partly cloudy
|
8° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 26 Km/h | 92 % | 1009 mb |
|
Tomorrow
04:00
|
partly cloudy
|
9° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 27 Km/h | 89 % | 1008 mb |
|
Tomorrow
07:00
|
light rain
|
8° | 8°°C | 0.2 mm | 20% | 21 Km/h | 91 % | 1008 mb |
|
Tomorrow
10:00
|
cloudy
|
8° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 21 Km/h | 91 % | 1007 mb |
Stargazing over Seal Spotting on the Coast
Our photos about Seal spotting on the Coast
Onze foto’s, video’s, … zijn allen (c) 2004-2026, Top.Vlaanderen, België. Ze mogen niet “zomaar” worden overgenomen of gebruikt. Ze zijn evenwel licentieerbaar. Wil U uw eigen toeristische attractie, B&B, vakantiewoning… laten fotograferen door ons, dat kan ook. Neem hiervoor contact met ons op via ons Contactformulier .
Location: Newport (Harbour channel)
Click on any of the photos below to launch the photo carousel....
Location: Lighthouse "Feu de Saint-Pol" (Digue de Braek in Dunkirk):
Indication of "Feu de Saint-Pol" on Google Maps.
Find here when the tide will be low: tide table for Dunkirk.
Photos of the seals (and other maritime photos) taken at this lighthouse
Click on any of the photos below to launch the photo carousel....
Click on any of the photos below to launch the photo carousel....
Click on any of the photos below to launch the photo carousel....
Disclaimer: All information presented on top.vlaanderen has been compiled with the utmost care. It is also checked regularly. If you have any comments, errors, additional information, etc... please contact us via our contact form. We are not responsible for possible incorrect or incomplete information.
