Diving or snorkelling with seals and sea lions ranks among the most playful encounters in the ocean. The animals are curious, fast, acrobatic, and — at established sites — completely unbothered by divers. Different species anchor different destinations, each with its own flavour:
- **Cape fur seal** (*Arctocephalus pusillus*) — Hout Bay / Duiker Island in South Africa, and Namibia. Large, bold colonies. - **Australian and New Zealand fur seals** (*A. pusillus doriferus* / *A. forsteri*) — southern Australia and New Zealand. - **California sea lion** (*Zalophus californianus*) — Los Islotes in Baja Mexico, La Jolla California, Coronado Islands. Pup season is August–September. - **Galápagos sea lion** (*Zalophus wollebaeki*) — ubiquitous throughout the Galápagos. - **Grey and harbour seal** (*Halichoerus grypus* / *Phoca vitulina*) — Farne Islands UK, Lundy, Cornwall; cold and atmospheric. - **Steller sea lion** (*Eumetopias jubatus*) — Hornby Island British Columbia. Winter dives with massive, inquisitive animals.
Most seal sites are year-round but have peak curiosity or pup seasons worth targeting. Pupping season makes adults more defensive — worth noting in the destination's notes.
The year at a glance
Global aggregated reliability — at any given month, how reliably can you find this species somewhere in the world?
Where to see them in April
Sorted by April reliability and species status.
- 01
4/5 - 02
4/5 - 03
3/5
Full season breakdown
Peak Present Rare