ICELAND HAS LOST MOST OF ITS SEALS. AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS
Iceland’s harbour seals have been in long-term decline. During this year’s count in the country’s northwest, volunteers recorded just 441 seals, compared with more than 1,000 along the same route around fifteen years ago. Scientists are now preparing a new assessment of the population. Tourists, too, can help ensure that observing these marine mammals does not disrupt their natural behaviour.
Seals are easy to find, but harder to protect
Seals are among the most appealing animals travellers can encounter in the wild along Iceland’s coast. They rest on rocks, bask on beaches and can quickly retreat into the water when disturbed. For many visitors, seeing them is one of the highlights of their trip.
Yet the easy accessibility of some locations can also create problems for the animals. When people get too close, gather around them or block their route to the sea, they may disturb the seals while they are resting or caring for their pups.
Iceland’s harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) has been in long-term decline. A new population assessment, launched in 2026, is expected to provide more up-to-date information on how many of these animals live in Icelandic waters.
Just 441 seals recorded during the count
The results of this year’s Great Seal Count were published by the Icelandic Seal Center. On 27 July 2026, volunteers surveyed approximately 100 kilometres of coastline in northwest Iceland and recorded 441 seals.
In 2025, the count stood at 445. Between 2008 and 2010, however, more than 1,000 seals were recorded along the same route.
The result is concerning, but it should not be mistaken for an exact count of all the seals in Iceland. This is a recurring survey of a selected stretch of coastline, and the results can be affected by conditions on the day. Strong winds, for example, may have made some animals harder to spot this year.
The last nationwide estimate, from 2020, put Iceland’s harbour seal population at approximately 10,300. In 1980, the population was estimated at around 33,000. The new assessment is intended to show how the population has changed in recent years.
Factors that may affect the population include accidental deaths in fishing nets. However, experts will need to assess the precise causes and the contribution of each factor.
Iceland’s seals are not disappearing because of a single problem. Their numbers fell sharply during a period of intensive hunting, and the population has not recovered to its former levels. Today, scientists point to bycatch in fishing nets, possible changes in food availability, pollution and human disturbance. The exact contribution of each factor remains unclear.
Why are Iceland’s seal numbers declining?
1. People hunted them intensively in the past
One of the best-documented causes of the historical decline was intensive hunting. During the first decade of monitoring, beginning in 1980, the harbour seal population fell by approximately half. This coincided with large-scale human-caused mortality.
Seals were hunted for their fur and meat, but their numbers were also deliberately reduced because of concerns that they were eating fish important to commercial fisheries. Financial bounties for killing seals contributed to high mortality.
Iceland banned seal hunting in 2019, although exceptions may apply under certain conditions. The historical losses have not been reversed, and the population remains far below its 1980 level.
2. They die in fishing nets
Another problem is bycatch. Seals can become entangled in fishing nets and drown, even though they were never the intended catch.
Scientists have paid particular attention to gillnets, including those used in the lumpfish fishery. An estimate based on data from 2014–2018 put the average number of harbour seals killed as bycatch in this fishery at approximately 1,389 per year.
This is a historical estimate, not a figure for current annual deaths. Nevertheless, it illustrates why restricting targeted hunting may not be enough if seals continue to die in fishing nets.
3. Food availability is changing
Seals feed on a variety of fish, including cod, herring, capelin and flatfish. Changes in prey abundance or shifts in the distribution of fish can affect the conditions in which seals live.
Scientists also identify changes in the marine ecosystem associated with climate change as a possible factor in Iceland’s declining seal population. However, there is currently no conclusive evidence that food shortages or warming are the main drivers of the decline.
4. People disturb them — including tourists
Human presence can affect the behaviour of seals resting along the coast. If people approach too closely, the animals may abandon their resting places and retreat into the water.
This is particularly relevant to visitors at well-known locations such as Ytri Tunga beach, where seals can be observed from land. Visitors should keep their distance, avoid blocking the animals’ route to the sea and never try to make them move for a photograph.
Human disturbance is recognised as a potential stressor, but it has not been established as the main cause of the nationwide population decline. Its impact may be greater during sensitive periods when seals are resting, breeding or moulting.
5. Other factors may also play a role
Scientific studies also mention pollutants, diseases and other environmental changes. Their specific contribution to the development of Iceland’s seal population is not yet fully understood.
Iceland’s seals are therefore not declining for just one reason. Hunting played a significant historical role, while possible current threats include bycatch in fishing nets, changes in food availability and human disturbance. The exact contribution of each factor remains a subject of scientific research.
Sources and further information:
Where to see seals in Iceland
One of the best-known places is Ytri Tunga beach on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland. With its rocky shoreline and easy access from the car park, it is a popular location for seal watching. Seals may be seen here throughout the year, although sightings are never guaranteed.
Other opportunities can be found along the coast of northwest Iceland, including around the Vatnsnes Peninsula. The rocky shores and seal haul-out sites in this area also attract visitors hoping to observe the animals in their natural habitat.
The same basic rule applies everywhere: adapt to the animals, not the other way around. If seals are resting well away from the path, there is no reason to try to get closer at all costs.
A timeline of Iceland’s declining seal population
Year | Estimated number of seals | What the figures show |
1980 | Approximately 33,300 | Starting point for long-term population monitoring. |
2016 | Approximately 7,650 | A decline of around 77% compared with 1980. |
2018 | Approximately 9,434 | A partial increase, although the population remained far below its 1980 level. |
2020 | Approximately 10,319 | Still around 69% fewer seals than in 1980. |
2025 | 445 | A local count along part of Iceland’s northwestern coast, not a nationwide estimate. |
2026 | 441 | The same local survey recorded almost the same number as the previous year. |
Sources: NAMMCO – scientific study of population trends from 1980 to 2020; Icelandic Seal Center – national census and local counts from 2025 and 2026. NAMMCO scientific study · National seal census · Icelandic Seal Center
Five rules for responsible seal watching
1. Keep your distance. For Ytri Tunga, local guidance recommends staying at least 50 metres away from seals. If pups are present, the recommended distance increases to 100 metres.
2. Never block their route to the sea. Seals must be able to retreat into the water whenever they choose. Do not position yourself in a way that traps an animal between you and the shoreline.
3. Watch for signs of disturbance. If a seal starts vocalising, moving away or behaving alertly, it may be reacting to your presence. If this happens, move farther away.
4. Do not touch pups. Mothers may temporarily leave their pups while searching for food. A pup on its own is not necessarily abandoned. Do not approach or attempt to move it.
5. Photograph without causing unnecessary disturbance. Avoid using flash, making loud noises or letting dogs roam off the lead. If a large group of visitors has gathered near the seals, wait until the area becomes quieter.
These recommendations are based on seal-watching guidance published by Visit West Iceland and the operators responsible for the Ytri Tunga site.
Let Iceland’s wildlife live in peace
Watching seals requires neither special equipment nor an organised excursion. That is precisely why it is important to remember that these animals are not a tourist attraction, but wild inhabitants of the coast.
The best photograph does not have to be taken from just a few metres away. Often, all it takes is a longer lens, patience and a willingness to stop chasing the closest possible shot.
If the seals decide to swim away, the best thing to do is leave them alone. The purpose of observing wildlife is not to make an animal stay where it is, but to catch a glimpse of its world without changing it to suit our own expectations.
About the Author
Iceland has fascinated me for many years. Over the course of numerous journeys across the island, I have driven tens of thousands of kilometers, experienced storms that changed travel plans within minutes, and witnessed days when choosing the right route meant discovering places that most visitors never see. I documented many of these experiences in my documentary film Island in the North.
Through this website, I share practical travel advice, up-to-date information, and firsthand experiences from the field to help others explore Iceland more safely and gain a deeper understanding of its unique landscapes and ever-changing nature.
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