Many people love to see wildlife in their natural habitat, and in the winter that seems to be the Harbor Seals that are sprawled out on the beach. Here, we’re going to look into some locations that are great to see Long Island’s very own harbor seals.
While out seal watching, please remember that seals are wild animals and can be considered dangerous, additionally; dogs should remain leashed and at a distance at all times.
- DO NOT Approach
- DO NOT Disturb
- DO NOT Feed
- DO Remain Quiet
- DO Respect the seal’s space
- DO Take Photo’s
Montauk Point State Park
Montauk Point State Park is one of the best places to see the seals. Seals can typically be seen on any of the tip’s beaches or on the north side of the state park, when visiting Turtle Cove or the Lighthouse watch for little black blobs bobbing in the water, or take a short hike to the Montauk Seal Haulout where the seals may be sprawled out on the rocks. The Montauk Seal Haulout trails is a perfect mix of a hiking trail and a natural lookout. When you arrive at the lookout, there is a small shelter that typically has a bench in it and a railing to safely view the seals from a distance (but not too far!)
Cupsogue County Park
Cupsogue County Park is another amazing place to catch the seals, make sure to bring binoculars though, as the Seals may be sprawled out on Sandbars that dot the Great South Bay. These seals can sometimes pop up on the sandy shore of the beach, while rare, it does happen. If you do not see them on the Sandbars, they may be out hunting for their pray in the Bay or swimming back and forth from the Ocean through the inlet.
Additionally, you can check CRESLI’s website for guided seal tours, which are usually held annually. Click Here to visit CRESLI
Other Locations:
Long Island is full of locations that you can catch Wild Seals at. Visitor’s at Orient State Park and County Park have reportedly seen the seals sprawled out, these are perfect locations as the seals will have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the reef’s that stretch outward from Orient Point County Park towards plum Island. Additional locations are in Long Island’s plentiful harbors, such as Port Jefferson, Huntington and Sag Harbor. If we’ve forgotten any locations, feel free to let us know!