CRESLI 2022-2023 Seal Walks and Cruises
Seal Walks at Cupsogue Beach and Seal Cruises at Shinnecock Bay
By: A. H. Kopelman, PhD
- The presence of equipment and vessels used in the dredging of Moriches Inlet have caused the seals to disperse earlier than expected.
31,833 seal encounters at Cupsogue Beach since 2006 (528 trips)!
Join us next winter through spring (our 19th year at Cupsogue) to observe, photograph, and learn about Long Island's seals.
These 1.2 miles round trip walks are suitable for children and take about 1 to 1.5 hours. Learn from experts and see how citizen science works!
- 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 Cupsogue 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
2022-2023 SEAL WALK AND MONITORING SIGHTINGS
2,381 seal encounters this season at Cupsogue Beach (Moriches Bay, NY)
Overall average of 72.5 ± 10.5 seals/encounter (all trips, n=33)
Undisturbed average of 93.04 ± 12.2 seals/encounter for undisturbed encounters (n=26)
2023 SEAL CRUISES on the R/V Peconic to view seals in Shinnecock Bay are over and will begin again in 2024
CRESLI 2023 Shinnecock Bay Seal Cruise Sightings
Slideshow of Best Images from the 2022-2023 CRESLI Seal Season
Click here to purchase images/prints/artwork to help support our mission
CRESLI 2022- 2023 SEAL SIGHTINGS AT CUPSOGUE BEACH
| CUPSOGUE 2022-2023 SEAL OBSERVATIONS |
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| Saturday, November 26, 2022
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
3 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) swimming |
| Thursday, December 1, 2022
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
1 Atlantic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) swimming while the dredging pipes were being removed
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| Sunday, December 4, 2022
SEAL WALK
2 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) observed swimming during our December 4, 2022 seal walk. One seal was "Right-Cheek-Dancers," a seal we've now seen on 5 occassions of the past 10 years. Dredging equipment was being removed, hence the disturbance level was extremely high and no seals were hauled out.
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| Thursday, December 15, 2022
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
26 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) observed and photographed on December 15, 2022. 5 were hauled out on rocks, the rest were hauled out about 1100 yards away.
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| Saturday, December 17, 2022
SEAL WALK
108 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) observed during our December 17, 2022 seal walk
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| Sunday, December 18, 2022
SEAL WALK
108 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) observed during our December 18, 2022 seal walk, including 2 back for their 18th year.
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| Monday, December 19, 2022
SEAL WALK for the South Ocean Middle School
132 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) observed during our December 19, 2022 seal walk for the South Ocean Middle School. Just after the students left, the seals were flushed from the sandbar in response to the sounds of a distant approaching vessel that they recognized.
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| Tuesday, December 20, 2022
SEAL WALK for Eastern Suffolk BOCES Islip Academic Center
2 harbor seals seen swimming
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| Friday, December 30, 2022
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
74 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) observed during our December 30, 2022 seal monitoring session, on the far NE section of the sand bar, 480 yards away. This group included "Triangle" back for his 15th season over 17 years
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| Saturday, December 31, 2022
SEAL WALK
On a foggy, rainy morning, about 30 seals were hauled out on the far NE area of the sandbar about 600 yards from us. Before we could get ready, the seals flushed from the sandbar. We waited and watched as several floated past us, including 3 gray sealls. The conditions were difficult for photographing and just a few Atlantic harbor seals were photographed. We are looking forward to tomorrow's trip.
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| Wednesday, January 4, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
On this lightly foggy morning, about 1 Atlantic gray seal (Halichoerus grypus atlantica) and 56 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) were hauled out on the far NE area of the sandbar. Conditions were difficult for photographing or ID'ing the seals, although "hammer-head-right," a female we've seen since 2006, was heard (even 600 yds away), and ID'd in one of the photographs. All photos were sharpened using available AI software
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| Saturday, January 7, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION followed by a SEAL WALK
~52 Harbor seals and 1 gray seal hauled out at the far NE area of the sandbar (~800 yards away) were photographed and videoed 1.5 hours prior to our scheduled seal walk. When we returned, the seals were gone except for a few swimmers. It's sad and unfortunate that the seals get flushed from their haulout. The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that seals be given at least 150 feet of protection. We know that seals learn and respond adversely to the sounds of vessels (and aircraft) that have disturbed them in the past. PLEASE GIVE SEALS THEIR SPACE
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| Wednesday, January 17, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
137 harbor seals hauled (130 on the primary haulout area , with 7 on the secondary area)
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| Thursday, January 18, 2023
SEAL WALK for the SAXTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
142 harbor seals hauled on the secondary area.
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| Saturday, January 21, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION followed by a SEAL WALK
~40 harbor seals and photographed were seen 1.5 hours prior to our walk. About 20 were hauled out on the mostly inundated sandbar and 20 more were in the water. As our monitoring team was leaving, an airplane flew at low altitude directly over the seals and flushed them from the haul out area. That action is in violation of NYS and Federal law. The plane's ID number was captured and will be sent to the appropriate authorities. It is so wrong to have someone deliberately fly low over the seals. We returned to the site with our seal walk participants, many of the from the Sayville Middle School Explorers Club, to ultimately find 5 harbors seals swimming.
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| Saturday, January 28, 2023
SEAL WALK for the Seatuck Environmental Association Greentree Teachers’ Ecology Workshop
As many as 57 seals sighted during a seal walk for Seatuck Environmental Association Greentree Teachers’ Ecology Workshop
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| Sunday, January 29, 2023
SEAL WALK
CRESLI seal walk around sun rise. As many as 47 seals were hauled on on the far NE end of the sandbar. Unfortunately kayakers and a motor vessel eventually flushed the seals and they headed to a more distant part of the sandbar
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| Thursday, February 2, 2023
SEAL WALK for the Oregon Middle School
58 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) seen. 57 hauled on on the far NE end of the sandbar and 1 was hauled out on the rocks.
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| Wednesday, February 8, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
6 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) were seen, 3 were hauled out on the rocks and 3 were swimming
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| Thursday, February 16, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
~89 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) were seen during this session. At first 80 were seen and counted including 4 on the rocks, 4 swimming and 72 on the far NE end of the sandbar (the teriary haulout site). Later viewong the sandbar from a different angle, we were able to count 82 hauled out there, with 2 swimming and 4 still on the rocks
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| Saturday, February 18, 2023
SEAL WALK
4 Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) on the rocks at Cupsogue Beach
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| Sunday, February 19, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION and SEAL WALK
CRESLI seal monitoring session with 55 harbor seals hauled out (330 yds. away) at the NE (tertiary) haulout site and 1 swimming. Later during the seal walk, we viewed the haulout from 500 yds. away (at the camping area) and once again counted 55 harbor seals. Counts were conducted in the field using a Nikon EDG Fieldscope 65mm Straight Body, and from photographs using ImageJ
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| Sunday, March 5, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION and SEAL WALK
CRESLI Senior Scientist/Naturalist, Dr. Artie Kopelman, arrive at the site 2 hours before low tide. The far NE end of the sandbar (the tertiary haulout area) was awash, and the rocks were awash. He observed and documented nearly 70 Atlantic harbor seals haulout onto the main haulout area over a 10 minute interval. The seals remained undisturbed and continued to haulout. We arrived later with our seal walk group and observed from the ridge at the camping area, we found 166 harbor seals, including our old friends "Horseshoe," "Paw-print," and "Hammer-head-right" on the sandbar, and 2 on the rocks.
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| Friday, March 17, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
153 harbor seals, 148 on the sandbar and 5 swimming
Photos available to view and purchase
Here's a slideshow |
| Saturday, March 18, 2023
SEAL MONITORING and SEAL WALK
Prior to the seal walk, a monitoring session showed 101 and then 106 harbor seals hauled out on the primary haulout area of the sandbar. Returning with the folks on our walk 1.5 hrs later, we encountered 167 seals on the sandbar, our highest total for the 2023 season thus far.
Photos available to view and purchase
Here's a slideshow |
| Sunday, March 19, 2023
SEAL MONITORING and SEAL WALK
The wind conditions were extreme, with N winds at 15 mph gusting to 25 mph. A monitoring session prior to the seal walk allowed Dr. Kopelman to watch 30-50 harbor seals hauled out on the primary haulout area of the sandbar, with several youger seals porpoising and chasing each other. Returning with the folks on our walk 1.5 hrs later, once again we encountered 167 seals on the sandbar and 3 on the rocks. While conditions were not great for photography, and while most folks who signed up never showed, the 20 people who joined us had an amazing experience.
Photos available to view and purchase
Here's a slideshow |
| Friday, March 24, 2023
SEAL MONITORING
Perfect conditions to view and photograph 150 harbor seals on the primary haulout region of the sand bar at Cupsogue Beach Park!
Photos available to view and purchase
Here's a slideshow |
| Tuesday March 28, 2023
SEAL MONITORING
180 seals were hauled out in 2 clusters of 105 and 75 seals respectively. These included 1 juvenile Atlantic gray seal and 179 Atlantic harbor seals
Photos available to view and purchase.
Here's a slideshow |
| Sunday, April 1, 2023
SEAL MONITORING followed by SEAL WALK
102 seals (101 Atlantic harbor seals and 1 juvenile Atlantic gray seal) were seen during the seal walk (89 seen 1.5 hours prior during our monitoring session)
Photos available to view and purchase.
Here's a slideshow |
| Thursday April 13, 2023
SEAL MONITORING
During this monitoring session, the haulout was split up dramatically. One group of 11 seals (10 hauled-out and 1 swimming) were at the primary haulout area on the western end of the sandbar. All the way to the NE end of the sandbar, easily 800m away was a group of aprroximately 21 seals. Eventually, after the dredging vessel that was moored on shore near the secondary haul-out area got underway, all seals moved to an area even furthe away where both groups found a resting place farther from the shore (the quarternary haulout area).
Photos available to view and purchase.
Here's a slideshow |
| Saturday April 15, 2023 and Sunday April 16, 2023: Seals in the fog
The patchy fog on 4/15/23 and 4/16/23 required patience to see the seals (~20 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday), and even more patience to photograph them. Some of these images are exactly what we saw, others have been dehazed and sharpened, or dehazed and noise removed. Wildlife observation and photography can be tricky, yet still rewarding
Photos available to view and purchase.
Here's a slideshow |
| Tuesday April 18, 2023
SEAL MONITORING SESSION
During this monitoring session, as in the past few trips, the activity of moored dredging support vessels caused the seals to leave their main haulour area and retreat to a distant area hundreds of yards to the NNE, where 15 seals were seen
Photos available to view and purchase.
Here's a slideshow |
CRESLI 2023 Seal Walks at Cupsogue Beach through 5/14/2023
- 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 Cupsogue 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.
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Registration for seal walks is required!
Make your reservation via the AVAILABLE links in the table above
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DONATIONS help fund our research and education programs.
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While NOT REQUIRED, RECOMMENDED, donations Remember these are simply suggested donations ($5.00 per adult; $3.00 under 18)
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If you wish to make a donation in advance, go to https://www.cresli.org/common/donations/donate.cfm?clientID=12000.
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If the donation page above isn’t working, please go to our PayPal donation page. You can make your donation via credit card (no PayPal account needed) at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5VYSF7M5XNKEN
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If you have a confirmed reservation, you will not be turned away. DONATIONS help us, but are not required.
Please DO NOT PARTICIPATE IF YOU ARE SICK OR HAVE ANY COVID-19 SYMPTOMS. If you have recently been in contact with someone who is sick, Please Stay Home!
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All equipment will be sanitized before and after each walk.
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Telescopes and high resolution digital cameras with viewing screen will be available.
CRESLI Cruises on the R/V PECONIC to view the seals of Shinnecock Bay, NY, leaving from Stony Brook University Marine Science Center in Southampton, NY.
| DATE | TIME | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, April 1, 2023, | 10 AM - 12 PM | Canceled due to weather |
| Tuesday, April 4, 2023 | 11 AM - 1 PM |
See photos and video by clikcing on the link abaove |
Please go to our Seal Cruise page for more information and cruise reservation links
Seals are seen typically throughout the 7 months (November through May), however the average number of individuals per sighting varies per month. Take a look at the chart below.
Here are the summary data for seal encounters at Cupsogue from 2006-2023
| Harbor seals | Gray seals | Harp seals | Hooded seals | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTALS | 31,671 | 150 | 11 | 1 | 31,833 |
| percent | 99.49% | 0.47% | 0.034% | 0.003% |
Contact Dr. Artie Kopelman to arrange additional dates and times during the week for school groups, homeschoolers, and other groups
From our colleagues at NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid-Atlantic:
If you see seals on the beach, use the Rule of Thumb while watching seals to make sure you are giving them enough space.
1) Close one eye.
2) Make a thumbs up and hold your thumb so it's in line with your vision and the seal.
3) If you can see the seal from behind your thumb, you are too close so back up!
https://www.facebook.com/NOAAFisheriesNEMA/photos/a.1841106822794035/2588783844692992/
Don't forget to contact your local stranding network 631-369-9829, or our regional hotline 866-755-6622, if you think the seal needs help!
CRESLI Cupsogue Seal Videos on Vimeo
Information on past CRESLI seal walks (from 2002-2022)
CRESLI is a non-profit organization as defined in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent of the law. A copy of the last financial report filed with the Department of State may be obtained by writing to NYS Dept. of State, Office of Charities Registration, Albany, NY 12231.