The grey seal — a species returning
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is the largest seal of the Baltic — an adult male can weigh up to 300 kg, a female up to 200. In the 19th century it was a common inhabitant of the Polish coast, but decades of hunting and pollution caused the population to collapse. By the 1980s it had been practically wiped out of the Polish part of the Baltic. Today, thanks to protection, it is coming back — in 2022 the Baltic population was estimated at some 40,000 animals.
The Marine Station in Hel opened in 1992 as a facility of the University of Gdańsk. From the start its mission has been scientific research on seals and a recovery programme. Each year the station takes in one or two young seals found on the beaches (separated from their mothers), feeds and treats them and after a few months releases them back into the wild. It is one of the best-known conservation programmes in Poland.
What you will see
- The seal pools — several permanent residents (those that cannot be released for medical reasons)
- The feeding — daily at 11:00 and 14:00, with extra shows in season. The trainer enters the pool and the seals learn their routines
- An education exhibition — about seals, conservation programmes and the ecology of the Baltic
- An aquarium of Baltic marine life — fish, shrimp, crayfish and corals
- An observation point — seals can sometimes be seen from the sea side (occasionally on sunlit rocks by the beach)
Practical notes
- Address — Hel, ul. Morska 2
- Ticket — about 10 zł adults, about 7 zł children
- Open — daily 9:30–18:00 (in season), shorter hours out of season
- Feeding — 11:00 and 14:00 (the best time to visit)
- Time needed — 1–1.5 hours (longer with children)
- From Hel railway station — about 10 min on foot
- Food on site — a café and quick meals
Worth knowing
The seal centre is not a circus — it is a scientific facility with an educational mission. The tricks the seals perform at feeding time are part of their training, making research and veterinary care easier (opening the mouth for a dental check, presenting the flippers for examination). The seals in the pools are animals that could not survive in the wild — mostly through injuries suffered when young or through illness.
The recovery programme has its seasonal peak: the station sometimes takes in young seals found on the beaches between April and June (the pupping season). After a few months of intensive care they are released back to the sea. You can sometimes see such seals at the centre shortly before release — something you will find nowhere else in Poland.
How to get there and practical info
- Address
- Hel, ul. Morska 2
- Ticket
- About 10 zł adults, about 7 zł children
- Open
- 9:30–18:00 (in season), shorter out of season
- Feeding
- 11:00 and 14:00
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- From Hel railway station
- About 10 min on foot
When to go
May — the pupping season on the beaches. Extra activity around the centre.
The height of the season, with queues in July and August. Come for 11:00 or 14:00 (feeding).
September — fewer crowds, the seals in fine form, excellent for photographs.
Shorter opening hours. An intimate visit, fewer people and an easier view of the feeding.
Other sights in Hel
Straight-line distances from „The seal centre of the UG Marine Station" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
We are still building the list of verified properties in the Hel region. If you run a guesthouse, a cottage or an apartment nearby — add your property.
Add your property →
