What is the difference between a common seal and a grey seal?

Answer 1

Common seals are the smaller of the two species. The have shorter, more snub noses (almost dog-like in appearance), with a dished forehead and v-shaped nostrils. The grey seal has a more stern look about it: it has a roman nose (flat and almost hooked) with nostrils set further apart. Their pelage is different too, with common seals being more uniformly spotted than greys. However their coats change during their annual moult so this is not always a good indicator. Grey seals tend to haul out closer together and will bounce along on land, where as common seals are more spread out and wriggle along like caterpillars. If you hear a haunting howl from a group of seals, there is most definitely a grey seals in there as common seals are relatively silent in comparison.