CRESLI Seal Walks and Research at Cupsogue
The seals are back and so are we, for our 16th consecutive year at Cupsogue, join us
By: A. H. Kopelman, PhD
2019-2020 CRESLI Seal Walks at Cupsogue Beach Park began December 7, 2019
Over 21,000 seal encounters since 2006.
Join us to observe, photograph, and learn about our Long Island's seals.
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.
2019-2020 SEAL SIGHTINGS AT CUPSOGUE
| Date | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 23, 2019 |
5 Harbor seals |
SEAL MONITORING SESSION |
| Saturday, December 7, 2019 | 90 harbor seals, including some old-timers back for their 16th year
| 8:30 AM |
| Sunday, December 8, 2019 | 70 seals seen at 8:30 AM were spooked off the haulout by a slow moving vessel within 2 minutes. By the time we arrived at 10:00 only about 10 were seen swimming | 9:30 AM |
| Monday, December 17, 2019 | 96 harbor seals hauled-out | SEAL MONITORING SESSION |
| Saturday, December 21, 2019 | 103 seals were hauled out on the sandbar during an early monitoring session, but once again had been spooked off the haulout while we were away. When we arrived at 10:00 only 8 hauled out rocks PHOTOS UNAVAILABLE | 8:00 AM |
| Sunday, December 22, 2019 | 113 harbor seals were hauled out on the sandbar during our early monitoring session. Unbelievably, yet again, they had been flushed from th haulout by the time we returned 2 hours later. Surprisingly, we found 30 seals hauled out on a distant sandbar northeast of the usual haulout. With patience, we were ultimately watch 30 additional harbor seals haul back onto the main haulout site! |
9:00 AM |
| Tuesday, December 24, 2019 | 127 harbor seals were hauled out on the sandbar | SEAL MONITORING SESSION |
| Saturday, January 04, 2020 | CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER | 8:00 AM |
| Sunday, January 05, 2020 | 102 harbor seals were hauled out on the sandbar | 8:00 AM |
| Friday, January 10, 2020 | 73 harbor (70 on seals were hauled out on the sandbar and 3 on rocks) | SEAL MONITORING SESSION |
| Saturday, January 18, 2020 | 87 harbor (78 on seals were hauled out on the sandbar and 9 on rocks) | 8:00 AM |
| Sunday, January 19, 2020 | 8:00 AM |
Remaining seal walk dates are below (click on the date to register)
- 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
You must register for any CRESLI seal walks (see links below). Registration will enable us to contact you regarding changes and/or cancellations.
Suggested donations (but are not required) of $5.00 per adult (over 18) and $3 per child (18 and under) will help support CRESLI's ongoing seal research programs
Seal Walk Registration is required, go to https://forms.gle/28ArTe9YQ6DSWSsU8
Pinniped Passes: Season passes for unlimited seal walks are available
Best Photos from the 2018-2019 Seal Season
2018-2019 SEAL SIGHTINGS AT CUPSOGUE
| 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 |