See the Seals at Horsey
One of the most celebrated Norfolk tourist attractions are the beautiful seals at Horsey Gap. These wonderful creatures are a major draw for tourists in the area and you can spend hours just marvelling at these special creatures.
The Seals at Horsey: The Norfolk tourist attraction
If you want a special treat, then why not go to see the seals at Horsey Gap? You will be blown away by the sight that you’re faced with once over the dunes and onto the viewing platform which has been purpose built for seal pup viewing during the winter months of late October through to February. Thousands have stared in awe for hours at this fantastic Norfolk tourist attraction.
Horsey beach had 2069 seals that were born in the 2019 to 2020 season, so this really is a magical place to come and see them. And every year the numbers of seals just seems to keep growing.
And it isn’t just Horsey beach that now has the seals. Every year more and more seals breed at Winterton beach too, making both locations a genuine Norfolk tourist attraction.
Horsey Gap is probably the best place in Norfolk to see these beautiful seals in the winter as there are no limits as to how long you can stay, how far you can walk and how to spend your time there. Please keep in mind that there are roped off areas which you must not cross, as they are there for the safety of the seals and visitors to this Norfolk tourist attraction alike.
Owing to the natural habitat and the need to maintain it accordingly, wheelchair accessibility is not particularly good. There is a fairly steep incline up to the top of the dunes and once on the dunes, the sand is soft, making it virtually impossible to use a wheelchair. The other viewing area also has steps up to the top, also making wheelchair access difficult.
The best time to watch the seals at this Norfolk tourist attraction
The seals at Horsey usually start to have their pups in late October through to early November and carry on until early February. As this is a fairly long period of time, there’s plenty of opportunity for you to visit and see these magnificent creatures in the wild.
Fortunately, it’s not just the winter months that offer the opportunity to see seals. Watching the seals is a number one Norfolk tourist attraction, and is an all year round activity. During the summer months you can view them mainly on the North Norfolk coast so if you’re in that part of Norfolk you can see them at Blakeney Point.
The great news is that every year the seals in Norfolk are increasing which is fantastic news for the seal colony. The abundance of seals makes this seal watching a major Norfolk tourist attraction.
The Friends of Horsey Seals
The Friends of Horsey Seals are a volunteer seal warden group. They took over from Natural England in 2012 and now monitor the seals and the area every day. These volunteers took up the job of looking after this Norfolk tourist attraction after funding dried up for Natural England and they could no longer use their time to look after the seals.
These volunteers do an amazing job looking after the seals and the area in general. Their knowledge and dedication have secured Horsey as a premium Norfolk tourist attraction for many years to come. The volunteers cordon off the beach during the pupping season to prevent people from going onto the beach and disturbing the seals at this crucial time. Not only is this good for the seals, but the volunteers are actually keeping you safe too, as a seal defending its young can be quite aggressive and they can inflict a very nasty bite if you get too close. The volunteers ensure that there are well maintained paths which you can follow to get the best possible views of the seals and their pups.
The Friends of Horsey volunteers also supervise the car parks and are located around the paths so you can ask them any amount of questions and they’ll do their very best to answer any questions you may have.
Parking for this Norfolk tourist attraction
Like most visitors to this Norfolk tourist attraction, you will probably arrive by car. Fortunately there is parking provided for your convenience.
Horsey Gap car park is the very best place to park to see the seals and their gorgeous little pups. During the winter months there is an overflow car park due to the vast number of visitors who come to this Norfolk tourist attraction.
It should be noted that campervans or motor homes may need to try and park in the overflow car park.
This overflow car park is also manned by the volunteers, so if you are told to park here, it’s for a good reason. The main beach car park is about a five minutes away from here. If you have accessibility issues, you’ll be able to park nearer to the beach.
Payment is in cash at the overflow car park, but the beach car park has a pay and display machine.
To reach this car park, you need to turn off the B1159 on the very sharp corner which is about a quarter of a mile west of the village heading towards Sea Palling. It is well sign posted, so you’ll have no difficulty finding it.
Viewing seals at this Norfolk tourist attraction
Latest figures suggest that there are over 70,000 people who come to Horsey to see the seals and their pups between November and January.
There are two ways you can get to see the seals at Horsey Gap.
The first is to park at the Horsey Gap car park, pay your parking charge at the machine operated meter and then follow the signs which are clearly marked to see the seals.
This path is a cordoned off track which doesn’t allow you onto Horsey beach, but does allow you to walk all the way along the back of the dunes and eventually on to the top of the dunes where you’ll be able to see the seals in all their glory.
From the car park, the first viewing area is on your left and will take you about ten minutes to walk there. This path takes you up past the old pill box with superb views inland over the surrounding area. From here you’ll find you can view a short stretch of beach behind the rope.
The second viewing area to see the seals is a much better option as there are far more seals here compared to the area closer to the car park.
You approach this by walking from the car park along the sand path all the way to the steps which take you over the sand dunes. This is about a twenty minute walk.
The viewing platform on the top of the dunes is an actual metal structure with a roped off area on the top of the dunes where you can walk further along. It is much longer than the first viewing area which is why it’s worth the extra walk to get here.
From the viewing platform you can watch the seals and their pups for as long as you like. You can continue to walk away from the viewing platform along the top of the dunes to enjoy the magnificent sight of many seals lying on the beach. All you can see for miles is this beautiful stretch of sand is equally beautiful seals and their gorgeous little pups. People come back year after year to this Norfolk tourist attraction to witness this marvellous spectacle.
There is something truly awe inspiring seeing these magical creatures in their own natural habitat, giving birth to their young and continuing the circle of life that has been going on for many thousands of years. This Norfolk tourist attraction genuinely gets you back to, and at one with nature at its best.
Keep warm at this Norfolk tourist attraction
Remember to wrap up warm if you’re coming to see the seals at Horsey. The wind can be biting during the birthing season and you don’t want to spoil such a magical event by being uncomfortably cold.
Other Norfolk tourist attractions that have seal watching
Horsey Gap isn’t the only place to enjoy the seals in Norfolk. Dedicated seal tours which take you out to Blakeney Point is the other way to see the seals, usually taking a boat trip from one of the boat companies which motor up the creek and out to the spit, giving you an unrivalled view of the seals on the beach there. Because you’re on a boat, you can take in more of the area, but you still get a great picture of these spectacular creatures.
White seal pups at this Norfolk tourist attraction
The white seal pups that you’ll see on the beach are newly born. This white fur is non-waterproof so they have to stay out of the water and close to their mother for at least sixteen to twenty one days before they moult and can then go into the sea.
The mother has to come ashore to give birth, hence the large numbers of seals here. The mother seal comes ashore twenty four hours before giving birth so you may well catch sight of a seal pup being born when you visit!
Seals at other times of the year at this Norfolk tourist attraction
You can see seals at other times of the year, but never in such large numbers as between November to January. Between February and April they group together and moult last year’s coat and grow a new one.
At this time of year the beach is open, but you do need to keep your distance, especially if you have dogs. Seals become very distressed by humans and they can also be very dangerous.
Whatever you decide to do on your holiday, do not miss out on this Norfolk tourist attraction. It truly is an unforgettable experience that will leave a massive impression on anyone who witnesses it.