Our mission
Zeehond.org aims to be the most reliable and useful source on seals — for anyone who wants to see them up close, has a question about them, or is concerned for them. We bring what scientific institutes, rehabilitation centres and nature organisations know to a wider audience, in an accessible way, without commercialising nature or sentimentalising the seal.
What we do — and don't do
We write about the common and grey seal in the Netherlands, their habitat (Waddenzee and Delta), how to see them without disturbing them, and what to do if you find a stranded pup. We do not run a liveblog on individual animals, do not publish sentimental stories, and do not sell anything. Boat trips and rehabilitation centres that we mention do not pay to be mentioned.
Editorial standards
- Facts over stories. Figures, dates and places come from validated sources (such as Wageningen Marine Research, the Trilateral Wadden Sea Secretariat, CLO, Zoogdiervereniging). We cite them on the sources page.
- No invented statistics. When in doubt, we say so — or we leave the figure out.
- Kept current. Pages with population figures are reviewed at least annually after the official counts.
- Welfare over experience. Every spotting instruction puts distance first, even if it means a worse photo. We follow the Seal Agreement principle: a wild animal belongs in the wild.
- Clear writing. Technical terms where needed, with explanations. No affected language.
Independence
Zeehond.org is a private initiative and is not part of a rehabilitation centre, boat-trip operator or government body. We name rehabilitation centres where that is informative, but do not preferentially refer to one particular party. We don't use affiliate links. In due course the site may show advertisements from nature-related parties — clearly marked, and without any influence on the content.
Who writes?
The content is written by editors with a connection to the Wadden and Delta nature, with final editing and fact-checking by someone with an ecological background. For topics at the intersection of policy and science (population counts or the Dutch Seal Agreement, for instance) we draw on publications from Wageningen Marine Research, the Compendium voor de Leefomgeving (CLO), the Zoogdiervereniging, and the official Trilateral Wadden Sea Secretariat reports. Constructive criticism and corrections are welcome.
Got a tip or correction?
Did we get something wrong? Do you have an interesting sighting, a photo we may use, or a suggestion for a topic that's missing? We'd like to hear about it via the contact page. We do not want to receive reports of injured or dead seals — for those, please contact the regional seal wardens; see seal pup found.
Privacy & tech
We use Google Analytics 4 to measure aggregated visitor numbers — only with your consent via the cookie banner. Beyond that, no advertising profiles and no social-media trackers. Our full privacy statement and cookie statement live on separate pages. Technically the site is static: fast, small, free of heavy frameworks, and respectful of your data usage on the Wadden.