Seals in the River Thames might become the ‘new normal’

We all know about the urban foxes that knock over our bins, and pigeons that scramble after our leftover Pret sandwiches, but much lesser spoken about is the wide range of marine diversity the capital is home to. In fact, the Thames’ infamously brown waters boast around 125 different species of fish including flounders, sea basses and eels. Lately, Londoners have been frequently spotting seals in the waters, as the friendly mammals are making their way further upstream into London’s centre to explore and look for food. 

‘We’re currently seeing a sharp increase in seal sightings in London,’ Mary Tester, founder of the Thames Seal Watch, told the Standard. 

‘Seals have long lived in the river with the latest estuary populations from Zoological Society of London (ZSL) counting nearly 600 harbour seals and 3,000 greys. The newer trend is that they seem to be more regularly exploring areas of London,’ she added. 

As tempting as it is to get up close to the animals, the RSPCA and the ZSL recommend keeping around 50-100m away from seals. In fact, seals are most vulnerable when ashore, as they come to land to sleep, digest food and give birth to pups. Disturbing them in these situations can make them extremely agitated, which can cause them to stampede, injure themselves, or bite humans. 

‘Feeding seals could endanger them by attracting other predators like birds or foxes and cause them to associate people with food, which has caused fatal accidents in the past,’ Tester said.

So chucking them your fishmonger's finest is ill advised – they’ve already got enough blubber as it is.

Dog owners should also make sure to keep their dogs on a leash when around seals as encounters can be dangerous for both animals. Experts warned against repeating a tragic instance that took place in 2021 when a seal in Hammersmith, christened ‘Freddie’ by the locals, had to be put down after it was mauled by a dog. 

So, why is it important that we have seals in the Thames? Seals themselves (and all biodiversity) are an indicator of the river’s health and show that conservation efforts have been successful. If you come across an endangered seal, you can contact the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), and in the case of a deceased seal, contact the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. 

And we better get used to seeing them around the capital. Tester said: ‘We are entering our new normal and must learn how to coexist with respect to our marine neighbours.’

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