The grey seal at Skånes Djurpark greeted me like an old friend — or perhaps a sly performer — with those deeply set eyes and a mouth full of mischief. I arrived just before feeding. There he was, slicing through the green reflections of the pool like a whisper of sea myth. His mottled coat was glistening in the low May light.
The charm of the grey seal
There’s something timeless about the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). With its long snout and thick whiskers, it’s often called the “horsehead seal.” Once you lock eyes with it, you see why. Native to the cold North Atlantic, these robust marine mammals haul out on rocky shores to rest and breed. Yet they move through water with almost unsettling grace.
At Skånes Djurpark, this particular fellow seems to know the rhythms of attention. As the keeper approached, he sprang into a whirl of movement — surfacing dramatically, slapping the water, snatching fish mid-air with a flash of teeth and wet whiskers. But between the theatrical lunges, he would float in stillness. His eyes were half-closed, wearing the look of an old soul who’s seen many tides come and go.
Watching seals is like time-travel
For a moment, I forgot the fences and the watching crowd. I thought of the Baltic Sea and the wild archipelagos where grey seals still hunt. I remembered a childhood trip to the island of Öland, where I first spotted one in the wild — just a glistening head in the waves. Years later, here we are again, eye to eye.
This seal didn’t just steal fish. He stole the scene, the silence, the memory. And yes — probably a piece of my heart.
The Photographer’s View
📍 Skånes Djurpark, Höör, Sweden
📷 Sony A7R V + Sony FE 200–600mm G OSS
⚙️ 1/1600 sec • f/6.3 • ISO 2000 • handheld
Shooting through the fence took some positioning. I waited by the water’s edge, crouched low, hoping to catch the seal just as it surfaced or lunged. The trick was timing and anticipating the leap during feeding. That moment where the fish was airborne — and the seal locked in on it — gave the perfect burst of drama. Light was shifting constantly, reflected off the green water and fur.
The Seal´s Call to the Flock
Have you ever had a close encounter with a seal — in the wild or at a park? Share your seal stories or tell me about your favourite animal photo moment. I’d love to hear where water and wildness meet in your world.
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