Seals in St Ives
Seal Island
Seal island is a rocky island about 3.5 miles off the coastline of St Ives in the direction of Zennor. It is home to a colony of Grey Seals, along with many other marine life species. When you walk the coast path you can see Seal Island out in the distance. If you have booked a holiday in a St Ives cottage, the Seal Island boat trip touts will be a familiar sight and sound along the harbour front by the end of your stay. Take a look at our St Ives Holiday Guide, specifically ‘Things to Do’ and boat trip organiser details are provided. You can enjoy hour long trips to Seal Island between April to November for as little as £20.

Seal Island. Photo Credit: Bluefin Charters, St Ives
Godrevy and Mutton Cove
If catching a boat to see the seals doesn’t take your fancy, there is always the opportunity to see seals at Mutton Cove, Godrevy Point. This is a short drive from St Ives. It’s easy to park in one of the National Trust car parks very near to Mutton Cove (free if you are a member), then walk the path towards the headland.
Make sure you have sturdy walking shoes as although there is a path it is not flat and fairly rough underfoot. Wooden railings and an information sign will show you that you’re at the right viewpoint. The sign asks people to be quiet and make no loud noises or sudden movements. If you look over and down towards the sheltered cove there is a very good chance that you will see seals a plenty. They will be taking a rest to digest food or have a nap out of the water.
Remember to take some binoculars with you, so that you can get a closer look. Godrevy is also a fantastic location for spotting some of Cornwall’s sea birds. Keep an ear out for Choughs. They are black with an orange beak and sound like they are greeting you with “ciao, ciao”!
At this time of year, in January the cove is inundated with seals and there are often around 100 seen out of the water and on the beach.

Mutton Cove, Godrevy. Photo Credit: Cornish Ramblings
Seal pups
Grey seals tend to give birth to a pup in the autumn and winter months. These fluffy white pups stay on land and don’t enter the water until they are 2 to 3 weeks old. It is very common to see a pup on its own and, once weaned at 3 to 4 weeks, the mother will leave her seal pup to get on with catching fish for themselves.
This inevitably means that during these winter months there is a high chance that you may come across a loan seal pup on a beach seemingly abandoned whilst walking or exploring any of the beaches in and around St Ives.
The quieter and more sheltered beaches and inlets are where the chance of encountering a seal is highest however, we implore you to not go looking for them and if you are to come across them to follow the advice below taken from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.
What to do if you find a seal pup on the beach?
1. Do keep your distance – If a pup has a fluffy white coat, it still needs its mother. She will have spotted you long before you saw her and she will hopefully be watching from a safe distance out at sea. A mum will only return to feed her pup if she thinks it is safe to do so
2. Don’t touch the pup – It is a wild animal with sharp teeth. A mother may reject her pup if it smells of people, so keep downwind and out of sight
3. Don’t put any seal back in the sea – A white coated pup spends most time out of water. All seals haul out onto land to rest, digest and socialise all year round
4. Do take a good look from distance – If the pup is alone, thin, injured or seems unwell (noisy breathing, coughing, runny nose) it may need help
5. Do something about it – Telephone Cornish Seal Sanctuary for expert advice on 01326 221 361 or British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765 546 giving an accurate location
Sadly, each year there are stories that make the news about humans who try to get too close to seals when they are on land, this frightens them and can put the pup in danger. Interference by people have caused pups to be abandoned by their mothers and there have been several cases of dog attacks, please pop your dog on a lead, it is better to be safe. Seals have a fine set of teeth which can cause a nasty bite (likened to a dog bite) to human or canine if they come too close.
Cornish Seal Sanctuary

Banana was rescued in 2018 from Trevellas Cove, Cornwall. Photo Credit: Cornish Seal Sanctuary
Where is the Cornish Seal Sanctuary?
Based over in Gweek, which is around a 30 minute drive from St Ives, is the Cornish Seal Sanctuary. It is a popular and highly recommended visitor attraction but is fundamentally a charity that rescues and rehabilitates grey seal pups from around Cornwall’s Coastline. The charity works to also provide information and advice to help people enjoy seeing seals in their natural habitat but also protect the seals.
What is it that they do?
Between September and March, the staff at the Sanctuary take in and rehabilitate over 70 seal pups that have been rescued for various reasons, from malnourishment to being separated from their mum. Often the seal pups get the love and care needed to bounce back to good health and are returned to their natural place in the wild where they were found. However, some seals need more help. Those who would not survive back in the wild, and are lucky enough to come to the Seal Sanctuary and are provided with a permanent home and the necessary care required to live a happy life from the sanctuary’s very dedicated team of marine animal experts.
What to expect on your visit to the Seal Sanctuary
Our friend, Naomi, a local resident and mum to two children, tells us about the Cornish Seal Sanctuary and why it’s one of her family favourite trips out.
The sanctuary has a large car park which is accessible and paths around the site are wheelchair and buggy friendly albeit steep in some places. You can buy tickets in advance or when you turn up at the entrance although purchasing in advance at busy times like school holidays is advisable.
The site is dog friendly but all dogs must be kept on a lead. There is a short nature trail walk which our labrador loves not far from the entrance, and at the bottom of the site there is a another woodland walk to view the area where Beavers have been introduced along the river.
The site has several large tank enclosures and pools where you can see pups being rehabilitated and the resident seals. My children love the underwater viewing windows and seeing the seals swimming past or coming inquisitively to the windows cause many a giggle and gasp in awe! There is information about what is happening and the seals individual stories; all the seals are given names. Feeding times are fun to watch and the staff give talks and information to the public at these times. Another very popular attraction are the puffins, these dinky but cheeky birds will keep you busy watching their speed and grace in the water.
A well designed playpark with seating areas, cafes and toilet facilities are central and provide a great place meet, eat and to burn some energy after all the learning and listening. Above this there are paddocks with some sheep and farm animals to visit.
We can happily spend several hours at the seal sanctuary and as a local family it is one we visit several times a year. There is always a new seal to learn about or something happening. There are often additional events on during school holidays and checking out their website (The Cornish Seal Sanctuary) prior to a visit is always worthwhile. There are often deals on ticket purchasing too such as saving more by buying in advance, this is in addition to when you buy your ticket it being valid for return visits for 12 months.
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is part of the SEA LIFE Trust charity and couldn’t do their vital work without the support of the public. There are lots of ways that you can support the work they do such as by sponsoring seals. The work they are doing is so important to keep these native, beautiful marine mammals in the wild and there for future generations to see just as we are now.
We hope that you have the opportunity to see some marine wildlife in its natural environment whilst you enjoy your St Ives holidays. You will experience how special and what a privilege it is to share such a stunning place with some incredibly beautiful and photogenic creatures!
Holiday Guide to St Ives
We have created a guide to St Ives covering everything we think you may want to know. Things to do, places to visit, food and drink, parking in St Ives as well as public transport, beaches and all things dog-friendly!Click on any of the tiles below and dig deep into the many helpful suggestions for making your holiday to St Ives full and varied.