Every day, hundreds, if not thousands, of people go to visit Sydney Opera House, but most of them don’t realise that if they took a few steps round the back of the building toward the harbour, they’d get to see another fabulous Sydney sight, Benny – The Opera House Seal.
Benny the Seal is a long-nosed fur seal who has become a regular – and very popular – visitor to Sydney Opera House. He’s been returning to the Opera House since 2014, where he’s often found lounging on the steps overlooking Sydney Harbour. The catch? Benny is wild, so there is no guaranteed time or day to see him.
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I’ve been lucky enough to see Benny myself many times as I’ve wandered around the harbour, and yes, he is still here in 2026; I’ve seen him a few times on my weekend walks. So here’s the story of Sydney’s most unexpected Opera House visitor – plus where to look if you’re hoping to spot him.
What We Know About the Opera House Seal
I first encountered Benny in December 2016 while on a run. I saw people standing by the harbour wall taking pictures down into the water – which isn’t the normal angle for cameras when you have the Sydney Harbour Bridge directly in front of you and the Opera House behind you, so I stopped and looked down myself…and there he was, fat, whiskery, and fast asleep in the sunshine.
He quickly became the number one stop on our list of fun things to do in Circular Quay!
Exactly when Benny arrived, no one knows. A seal was first spotted in the same place back in November 2014, but didn’t stick around; a year later another seal turned up there with a pup.
What’s not clear is whether the current Opera House Seal is that first seal realising the error of their ways and returning, whether it’s Seal Two back again or the pup all grown up.
As you can see from these pictures, which are from a few different sightings – he doesn’t always look exactly the same fur-wise – although the cheeky expression does look familiar!
Perhaps word’s out in seal-land that the Opera House steps are the place to hang out if you want to become an instagram superstar in the pinniped world (#bennytheseal), and it’s actually a different seal each time, but he seems to have made the harbour his home, popping up in front of kayakers, waddling round the steps and mostly, sleeping with one flipper in the air.
He’s even been in an episode of The Simpsons.
Admittedly, it bugged me when I first wrote this piece back in 2017 that I could find so few hard facts about the Opera House Seal.
I did try and get more information – I even emailed the Sydney Opera House press office a list of questions I hoped they might answer, but they obviously filed me in the ‘Benny Botherer – possibly slightly dangerous’ file and didn’t reply.
All we do know for sure is he/she is a New Zealand Fur Seal (I’m using he because, erm Benny, but it could be a girl!) and that the fact that he doesn’t go anywhere means he’s happy, the water’s clean and there’s enough fish around to sustain his, erm, very healthy, layer of fat!
How To Find Benny the Seal
He’s a lot easier to find than when I first wrote this, as he’s now so famous, he’s actually got a Google Map sightseeing star marked Opera House Seal Steps.
To find the right spot, walk down the western side of the Opera House toward the water, following the handy yellow arrow in the picture below!
When you reach the end of the pathway and the back end of the Opera House, you’ll see a set of metal barriers; look down the steps – it’s easier to see if he’s there from the bridge side looking over the clear partition than the other side.
You can’t see if he’s there from a distance as he sits about halfway down the steps, so you will have to go and explore, but there are handy ‘Do Not Feed the Seal’ signs so you know you’re in the right place if he isn’t present. And a lovely view of the Harbour Bridge!
What makes me laugh most is that these are actually the VIP steps that they use to bring in people like royalty that they don’t want to bring in the front way – I’d love to see what happened if Benny was there the day the King arrived or something. Who would get bumped?
When Can You See Benny the Seal?
There isn’t a set time when Benny visits the Sydney Opera House. He’s a wild seal rather than an attraction with scheduled appearances, so sightings are unpredictable.
If you’re visiting the Opera House, it’s worth checking the steps around the harbour side of the building, but don’t make your visit dependent on seeing him.
I usually walk or run around there at around 10.30 am and have seen him at that time, and also around lunchtime – but definitely not every time, and I walk there at least twice a month. The experts say he more commonly visits in winter, and the pictures in this post are from March, July and September over the years, so that would track.
I can’t promise he’ll be there. He is wild after all. I have seen him in 2026, though.
What Else is Nearby?
Erm, the big white building to your right is kind of a big deal, and if you want a close-up view, you can book a tour around the Opera House itself.
You also have a pretty good view of the bridge right now, and you’ll probably see a heap of people climbing it – but, if you don’t have quite the head for heights (or the budget to climb it) you can also climb one of the pylons
You’re also just steps away from the Royal Botanical Gardens (where, if you’re lucky, the rare but smelly Corpse flower will be blooming). If not, then it’s still a lovely place to take a wander – and find some shade.
If it is hot and you don’t mind getting wet, booking a ride on one of the jet boats is still one of the most fun things we’ve done on the harbour. Click to see prices here.
Also, check out the nearby Opera Bar for a drink with one of the best views in the world. Just watch the seagulls if you order food. They are terrifying!
Who Writes Differentville?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a journalist and author living in Sydney.
My travel articles have been published in titles including The Australian, Body & Soul at the Sunday Telegraph, RAC Horizons, Jetstar magazine and more.
I like the weird, the wonderful and anything that makes me jump and down with glee like I’m about three. That’s what you’ll find here.
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If you like this post, why not share it on social media? Every time you do, Benny claps his flippers.
