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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean

Europe and Mediterranean

Belgium

A short, busy North Sea coast where harbour porpoises and recovering seals live. Shared as a story only, with no trips.

Harbour porpoise
Harbour porpoise, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: Simon Tonge, iNaturalist, cc0
Story only

Story only, for now. We love learning about this place and its ocean, so we share its story here and do not sell trips yet. Checked by Ocean Calling on 6 Oct 2026. Sources: Seals return to Belgium's shores, Euronews Green (2023); Species protection in the Belgian part of the North Sea, FPS Health Belgium; Belgium travel advice, UK FCDO (gov.uk).

Why: Belgium's seals are a real comeback story: grey and harbour seals, nearly gone from the coast, now rest on beaches around Ostend, and about 4,000 harbour porpoises live in the Belgian North Sea. All whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals are protected by the Royal Decree of 21 December 2001, and the North Seal Team asks everyone to stay 30 metres away and never feed them. We watch from the dunes with binoculars, hands off, and we never swim with or touch wildlife.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The UK FCDO advises that Belgium's terrorism threat level is serious, level 3 of 4, and notes possible strike disruption and petty crime. It gives no warning against travel. Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, Belgium Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

Wildlife watching

Why Belgium

Belgium's coast is only about 67 km long, on a busy North Sea. Harbour porpoises live here and aerial surveys show a spring peak from February to April. Harbour seals and grey seals are slowly coming back to rest spots near Ostend and Nieuwpoort. Whales, orca and turtles appear only as rare strays. We found no licensed way to swim with wildlife here, so this is story only and we do not go.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

RussiaNorwayGreenlandFranceTunisiaAlgeriaSyriaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandGeorgiaSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoOstend and Nieuwpoort coast, Belgium

When to go

Feb-Apr. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We share this place as a story so you can learn. There is no Ocean Calling trip.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Story only

We tell the story. We do not sell a trip here.

Checked 6 Oct 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
The story

Where in Belgium

We share these places as stories and research notes. We do not offer or sell trips here.

Ostend and Nieuwpoort coast

Story only

Sandy coast where harbour seals and grey seals rest, and porpoises pass offshore.

Also seen: Harbour porpoises (from the shore or a boat, never certain), Harbour and grey seals (from the shore, keep at least 20 m)

When: Feb-Apr. Porpoises are counted most often in spring, from February to April. Seals rest on the beaches, so keep dogs on a lead and stay at least 20 m away.

Animals

Animals recorded in Belgium

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Harbour porpoise rolling at the surface off Berry Head, DevonHarbour porpoisePhocoena phocoenaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSpotted harbor seal lifting its head out of calm waterHarbor sealPhoca vitulinaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGrey seal resting on a seaweed rock in Northumberland, UKGrey sealHalichoerus grypusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOrcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientMinke whale surfacing and exhaling, seen from aboveCommon minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFin whale surfacing, showing its white right lower jawFin whaleBalaenoptera physalusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBump-head sunfish swimming in blue water off Nusa PenidaOcean sunfish (mola)Mola molaSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTwo long-finned pilot whales surfacing side by sideLong-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala melasSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata (dwarf form)Seen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBasking shark swimming underwater in green water off Argyll, ScotlandBasking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangeredMoon jellyfish in a harbour in Zeeland, NetherlandsMoon jellyfishAurelia aurita and other Aurelia speciesSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedAngelshark with a flat, mottled brown body swimming just above a sandy seabed in dark waterAngelsharkSquatina squatinaSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredA Black Sea seahorse in the shallow water at Eforie-SudLong-snouted seahorseHippocampus guttulatusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSpiny dogfish resting on the seabed at the Josephine Marie shipwreck, Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuarySpiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic white-sided dolphin leaping clear of the sea, showing its pale flank stripeAtlantic white-sided dolphinLagenorhynchus acutusSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-beaked dolphin surfacing, head and beak at the water lineWhite-beaked dolphinLagenorhynchus albirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAtlantic puffin spreading its wings on a cliff in IcelandAtlantic puffinFratercula arcticaSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic bluefin tuna leaping out of choppy water, recorded in Hovedstaden, DenmarkAtlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarlet ibis in flight against a pale blue sky, photographed in Georgetown, GuyanaScarlet ibisEudocimus ruberSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernA single silvery herring angled through deep blue water off Skjervoy, northern NorwayAtlantic herringClupea harengusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-tailed eagle in flight low over calm water with a fish in its talons, near Raftsund, Lofoten, NorwayWhite-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernCommon smooth-hound swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a slim grey-brown body and two dorsal finsCommon smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangeredAmerican flamingo wading in shallow water with its head lowered toward the surface, Yucatán, MexicoAmerican flamingoPhoenicopterus ruberSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedClose view of a northern gannet face, with pale blue eyes and a golden headNorthern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScopoli's shearwater skimming just above calm blue waterScopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableManx shearwater banking just above the sea, white underparts and dark upperparts visibleManx shearwaterPuffinus puffinusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernEuropean shag sitting on its nest of dry grass, dark green-tinged plumage and yellow gapeEuropean shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo pygmy cormorants perched on a bare branchPygmy cormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeusSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a small-spotted catshark head, with dark spots, resting on the seabedSmall-spotted catshark (lesser spotted dogfish)Scyliorhinus caniculaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTope shark swimming in clear shallow water, seen from the sideTope shark (school shark)Galeorhinus galeusSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredNorthern fulmar sitting on a cliff ledge, facing the cameraNorthern fulmarFulmarus glacialisSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernThornback ray swimming over a rocky seabed in shallow green waterThornback rayRaja clavataSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedCommon stingray resting on a bed of seagrass, with its eye and body edge in viewCommon stingrayDasyatis pastinacaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasVulnerableStarry ray resting on a sandy seabed, with a spotted back and thorns along the tailStarry ray (thorny skate)Amblyraja radiataSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSpotted ray (homelyn ray)Raja montaguiSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlonde ray resting on pebbles in a shallow rock poolBlonde rayRaja brachyuraSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedStarry smooth-houndMustelus asteriasSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Curious?

Why this is a story, not a trip

Read our ethics check above. If you would like to talk about it, Rocío is happy to explain.

Ask RocíoBack to the Ocean Atlas

Also in Europe and Mediterranean
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