Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Inc.

150 Idle Hour Blvd., Oakdale  NY 11769-1999, Attn: Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, Dowling College

 

 

 

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    Harbor seals at Cupsogue Beach County Park

Harbor seal at Cupsogue BeachHabor seal at Cupsogue Beach County Park

2012 CRESLI SEAL SEASON IS OVER

THE SEALS HAVE LEFT!

  Cupsogue Beach County Park

General Information about Seal Walks: CRESLI seal walks will take place between November and May. Please note that weather will play a significant role in determining the seal walk schedule. Please call CRESLI at (631) 244-3352 for schedule changes and cancellations.  The walks  are approximately 1.2 miles round trip and take about 1 to 2 hours.  These walks are suitable for children. 

Please be prepared for the weather, i.e., wear warm clothing (outerwear should be in muted colors) in layers. Hats, gloves, warm waterproof shoes, and water are also recommended, as are cameras and binoculars.   For those without waterproof shoes, an additional dry pair of shoes and socks (for the ride home) would be beneficial. Check the weather for Westhampton Beach and assume that the winds will produce wind chill. It’s better to be a more-on, than a less-on, i.e., having more layers than you need is the right thing. 

You must register for any CRESLI seal walks. Registration will enable us to contact you regarding changes and/or cancellations.

Suggested contributions of $5.00 per adult  and $3 per child (12 and under) will help support CRESLI's ongoing seal research programs.  


Pinniped Passes


This season CRESLI is once again offering seal season passes that will allow the holder unlimited seal walks! We are offering three levels: Grey, Harp and Harbor Seal Pinniped Passes.
  • Grey Seal Pinniped Pass ($65) is for a family up to 6 people
  • Harp Seal Pinniped Pass ($50) is for up to 4 people
  • Harbor Seal Pinniped Pass ($30) is for up to two people.
Each pass lasts the whole seal season and can be used an unlimited number of times.
This is an inexpensive and easy way to see Long Island’s seals all season.
All you need to do is go to our website and register. We will send you a laminated card that you will need to bring to each seal walk for which you have made a reservation. Considering that we have 27 scheduled seal walks and ask each person for $5. This is a REAL bargain!

Please note that seal walks for groups of 10-50 (school groups, scouts, etc.) have to be scheduled separately and can be scheduled on dates other than those listed.  Please send an e-mail with your requests, by clicking on this link to Dr. A. Kopelman


2011-2012 CRESLI Seal Walk Schedule

SCHEDULE AND SIGHTING REPORTS

Date Time Status
Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:00 PM no seals spotted
Sunday, December 18, 2011 8:00 AM 28 harbor seals

photos
Saturday, January 07, 2012 10:30 AM 15 harbor seals

photos
Sunday, January 22, 2012 11:00 AM 8 harbor seals

Photos
Saturday, February 04, 2012 9:00 AM 99 harbor seals
and 1 grey seal


Photos
Sunday, February 19, 2012 10:00 AM 35 harbor seals  (29 hauled out; 6 in water)

Photos
Saturday, February 25, 2012 12:00 PM Canceled
Sunday, February 26, 2012 1:00 PM 8 harbor seals

Photos
Sunday, March 04, 2012 9:30 AM 133 harbor seals and 1 young grey seal

Photos
Saturday, March 10, 2012 12:30 PM 35 harbor seals were hauled out at 11:50 AM. They were disturbed and flushed from the site later.

only 12 remained simming in the area by the time we returned at 1:40

Photos
Saturday, March 17, 2012 9:00 AM 105 seals hauled out between 7:30 and 7:50 AM.

120 harbor seals hauled out later (around 9:40) but were flushed from the site by aicarft noise, and repeatdly buzzed by a private helicopter


Photos
Sunday, March 18, 2012 10:00 AM 122 seals hauled out between 8:30 and 8:35 AM.

136 harbor seals were seen hauled out later (around 10:40) and remained


Photos
Saturday, March 24, 2012 1:30 PM 6 harbor seals swimming between 12:00 and 12:30 PM.

2 harbor seals were seen briefly later (around 2:20 PM)


Photos
Sunday, April 01, 2012 9:00 AM 110 harbor seals and 1 juvenile grey seal at 7:35 AM.

We returned around 9:45; saw about 120 seals, but they were flushed before we could get an accurate count by a vessel (NY8077 UT). 

About 35 returned.


Photos
Saturday, April 14, 2012 8:00 AM Research trip: 65 harbor and 2 juvenile grey seals just after day break.

Research photos

Seal walk: 58 harbor and 2 juvenile grey seals

Seal walk photos
Sunday, April 15, 2012 9:00 AM Seals were disturbed by fishing fishing vessels.  12 harbor seals were hauled out at 7:20 AM, but were repeatedly flushed from the sand bar.

At 9:30 only 6 seals remained swimming in the area


Photos
Saturday, April 21, 2012 12:00 PM 2 harbor seals and 1 juvenile grey seal in the fog at Cupsogue before and during today's CRESLI seal walk.

Photos
Sunday, April 22, 2012 12:30 PM canceled due to weather
Saturday, April 28, 2012 8:00 AM CANCELLED
Sunday, April 29, 2012 8:30 AM
Saturday, May 05, 2012 12:00 PM
Sunday, May 06, 2012 1:00 PM
Saturday, May 12, 2012 8:00 AM
Sunday, May 13, 2012 8:00 AM

 


register for a seal walk

Click here for maps and directions to the seal walks.


CRESLI seal walks at Cupsogue Beach County Park (at the western end of Dune Road in Westhampton Beach) will depart from area near the fence at the western end of the parking lot.  The walks  are approximately 1.2 miles round trip and take about 1.5-2 hours. Meeting times are 15 minutes prior to departure. These walks are suitable for children.

 

Click here for a map and directions to the seal walk at Cupsogue Beach .


For further information about Long Island's seals, click here.


Click here for images from previous seal walks

Click here to see previous year's sightings reports

Click here for Seal Cruise information


PLEASE! PLEASE!  All of us involved in monitoring the seals  on Long Island would prefer that you view the seals in a supervised naturalist led walk.  If too many people continue to disturb the haul out zone, the seals may abandon it in the future.  REMEMBER, DO NOT COME WITHIN  70 YARDS OF THE HAUL OUT ZONE  WHEN SEALS ARE HAULED OUT and DO NOT GO DOWN TO THE SHORE.   

 


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