Harbour seals are among the most commonly held marine mammals in zoos and aquariums, with welfare standards varying enormously across facilities globally.
Harbour seal welfare in captivity varies widely based on facility standards. Seals in show facilities that use food deprivation to maintain food motivation for performances experience chronic hunger as a welfare harm. Inadequate pool size prevents normal swimming behaviour and dive depth expression. Poor social management — inappropriate group compositions or isolated individuals — causes social stress. Best-practice aquariums provide large pools with depth, complex enrichment including feeding puzzles, appropriate social groupings, and training programmes using positive reinforcement without food deprivation. The welfare cost of using seals in entertainment shows is increasingly scrutinised by welfare scientists.