The Singing Sea

Seals always surprise, confound and disconcert, whether we see hundreds of moulting bodies on a rocky beach or a single head just beyond the surf. They have always affected humans in weird ways. What is their true nature? Their lumbering physicality? Their numinous aura? Their ability to shapeshift, becoming human parents or lovers? Do they have souls?

Acclaimed naturalist Charles Foster tries to find out – diving with seals through Scottish kelp forests, joining tourists seal-spotting off the Norfolk coast and kayaking through Faroese fjords. Seals have much to teach us about themselves and about us. Combining science and meditative insight with lyrical prose, Foster journeys through a year in the life of grey and harbour seals and reflects on the ways they have shaped his life and those of the people he meets.

From old fishermen’s tales of selkies and the plaintive songs of the big greys, to playful, suburban harbour seals and their adventurous ‘gap year’ travels, The Singing Sea is filled with glimpses into seal biology, behaviour, intelligence and mythology, shining a new light on their enduring fascination. You will find that the seals interrogate you.