CRESLI Seal Walks and Research at Cupsogue
Join us for our 15th consecutive year at Cupsogue December 2019
By: A. H. Kopelman, PhD
2019-2020 CRESLI Seal Walks at Cupsogue Beach Park begin December 7, 2019
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) 319-6003 for schedule changes and cancellations. The walks are approximately 1.2 miles round trip and take about 1 to 1.5 hours. These walks are suitable for children.
Please be prepared for the weather, i.e., wear warm clothing in layers. Hats, gloves, warm waterproof shoes are recommended, as are cameras and binoculars. 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 (see links below). Registration will enable us to contact you regarding changes and/or cancellations.
Suggested contributions of $5.00 per adult (over 18) and $3 per child (18 and under) will help support CRESLI's ongoing seal research programs.
Pinniped Passes: Season passes for unlimited seal walks for parties of 2, 4, or 6 people are available
Seal walk dates are as follows:
- Saturday, December 7, 2019 8:30 AM
- Sunday, December 8, 2019 9:30 AM
- Saturday, December 21, 2019 8:00 AM
- Sunday, December 22, 2019 9:00 AM
- Saturday, January 4, 2020 8:00 AM
- Sunday, January 5, 2020 8:00 AM
- Saturday, January 18, 2020 8:00 AM
- Sunday, January 19, 2020 8:00 AM
- Saturday, February 8, 2020 11:30 AM
- Sunday, February 9, 2020 12:00 PM
- Sunday, February 16, 2020 8:00 AM
- Saturday, February 22, 2020 11:30 AM
- Sunday, February 23, 2020 11:30 AM
- Saturday, March 7, 2020 10:30 AM
- Sunday, March 8, 2020 12:30 PM
- Saturday, March 21, 2020 11:30 AM
- Sunday, March 22, 2020 12:30 PM
- Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:00 AM
- Sunday, April 5, 2020 11:00 AM
- Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:00 AM
- Sunday, April 19, 2020 10:30 AM
- Saturday, May 2, 2020 8:30 AM
- Sunday, May 3, 2020 9:30 AM
To register for seal walks go to https://forms.gle/28ArTe9YQ6DSWSsU8
Best Photos from the 2018-2019 Seal Season
LAST YEAR'S SEAL SIGHTINGS
| Date | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 24, 2018 | 11:30 AM SEAL WALK | 2 harbor seals were seen during research monitoring but were unfortunately not seen during the seal walk |
| Sunday, December 2, 2018 | 8:00 AM SEAL WALK | Canceled due to weather |
| Monday December 3, 2018 | RESEARCH TRIP | 77 harbor seals |
| Saturday, December 8, 2018 | 11:30 AM SEAL WALK | 93 harbor seals |
| Sunday, December 16, 2018 | 7:00 AM SEAL WALK | Canceled due to weather |
| Monday December 17, 2018 | RESEARCH TRIP | 53 harbor seals |
| Saturday, December 22, 2018 | 10:30 AM SEAL WALK | 34 harbor seals |
| Sunday, December 23, 2018 | 11:30 AM SEAL WALK | 24 harbor seals seen during monitoring. Just before arrival for our walk, the seals were chased off the sandbar by a vessel approaching too closely. Please keep your distance from seals |
| Thursday, December 27, 2018 | RESEARCH TRIP | 53 harbor seals |
| Sunday, December 30, 2018 | 7:00 AM SEAL WALK | 120 harbor seals |
| Thursday, January 03, 2019 | RESEARCH TRIP | 110 Harbor seals |
| Saturday, January 5, 2019 | 11:00 AM SEAL WALK | canceled due to weather |
| Wednesday, January 16, 2019 | RESEARCH TRIP | 132 harbor seals |
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 | SEAL WALK FOR SOUTH OCEAN MIDDLE SCHOOL | 132 harbor seals |
| Friday, January 18, 2019 | SEAL MONITORING WITH WALDORF SCHOOL OF GARDEN CITY | 117 harbor seals |
| Saturday, January 19, 2019 | 10:00 AM SEAL WALK | 123 harbor seals |
| Sunday, January 20, 2019 | 10:30 AM SEAL WALK | Canceled due to weather |
| Saturday, February 2, 2019 | 10:00 AM SEAL WALK | 105 harbor seals |
| Sunday, February 3, 2019 | 10:30 AM SEAL WALK | 52 seals hauled out early on the sand bar; they were flushed later and about 20 ultimately hauled-out on the near shore rocks |
| Saturday, February 16, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 122 harbor seals |
| Sunday, February 17, 2019 | 10:00 AM SEAL WALK | 118 harbor seals |
| Friday, February 22, 2019 | RESEARCH TRIP | 92 harbor seals |
| Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 20 harbor seals |
| Sunday, March 3, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 92 harbor seals |
| Saturday, March 16, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 91 harbor seals |
| Sunday, March 17, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 101 harbor seals |
| Wednesday, March 20, 2019 | RESEARCH TRIP | 104 harbor seals |
| Friday, March 29, 2019 | SEAL WALK FOR LITTLE PEEPERS FOREST SCHOOL | 157 harbor seals PHOTOS |
| Saturday, March 30, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 136 HARBOR SEALS DURING POST-SUNRISE MONITORING SESSION. ALL SEALS ON THE SANDBAR HAD BEEN FLUSHED BEFORE OUR SCHEDULED WALK. ~40 WERE SWIMMING AND ANOTHER 20 WERE HAULED OUT ON THE ROCKS NEAR SHORE. THE SEALS ON THE ROCKS WERE FLUSHED BY AN ILLEGAL CLOSE APPROACH BY COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VESSELS. THE INCIDENT HAD BEEN TAPED AND A REPORT TO THE AUTHORITIES WILL BE SENT |
| Sunday, March 31, 2019 | 9:00 AM SEAL WALK | 51 HARBOR SEALS: (28 ON NEAR-SHORE ROCKS & 23 ON SANDBAR) PHOTOS |
| Saturday, April 05, 2019 | SEAL MONITORING THE WALDORF SCHOOL OF GARDEN CITY | 20 Swimming harbor seals |
| Saturday, April 13, 2019 | 8:00 AM SEAL WALK | 22 harbor seals |
| Saturday, April 14, 2019 | 8:00 AM SEAL WALK | 128 harbor seals - dense fog |
| Sunday, April 16, 2019 | SEAL MONITORING THE WALDORF SCHOOL OF GARDEN CITY | 109 harbor seals |
| Saturday, April 27, 2019 | 8:00 AM SEAL WALK | 17 harbor seals |
| Sunday, April 28, 2019 | 8:00 AM SEAL WALK | 14 HARBOR SEALS HAULED OUT AT THE FAR NORTHEASTERN OF THE SANDBAR. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN IN 14 YEARS OF MONITORING |