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Friday - April 20, 2012 Last Seal Observation for the Spring 2012 Season There
were 27 seals on the rocks yesterday, but we only saw 5 seals today
under less favorable wind conditions. The seals are behaving similarly
to most of the wild creatures we have been observing this spring, in
that they are affected by the warm temperatures; in the case of the
seals, the warmer than usual water temperatures in the bay have caused
most of the seals to begin their northward migration earlier than
normal. This time last year we were still seeing up to 80 seals at Rome
Point but it looks like most of the seal herd has departed already.
Some seals will probably still be around for the next two weeks, but we
are heading north to Maine and maritime Canada next week, so our
Rome Point seal watching season has come to an end.
Update - April 24 There are reports coming in from Maine of seal having their pups in March... two months earlier than usual. We have changed our vacation schedule for our annual trip to Maine in recent years so we can observe mother seals interacting with their pups, but last year there were no nursing pups to be found in the third week of June. Ten years ago we would see harbor seals nursing their pups in the first week of July, but the seal pupping season has been getting earlier year by year. We are observing similar activity among other animals, especially raptors which we monitor closely. The natural world as we have known it in our lifetime is changing at a rate that is unprecedented and we are convinced there is overwhelming evidence that human activities play a major role in the changes we are observing.
Be sure to check out the Recent Observations... link for a season-ending summary and essay; thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in the amazing seal show at Rome Point and thanks to everyone who takes the time to check out this website.
This video: Big Seal Day 2011 was made in March 2011 and we used this footage for our recently concluded seal counting contest. The actual count of seals in that video clip is 111 seals. We made another video of a few seal observation highlights from 2011 and we have posted the video on Youtube. To view this 7 minute video, just click on this link: Rome Point Seals 2011 Also, a seal watching friend was kind enough to send me a link to this video of an elephant seal in South America. Seal Meets Girl Remember, do not approach any seals that you may encounter along the New England shore, as they are different critters than the elephant seal in the video and are much more likely to bite than to snuggle.
Welcome to the Internet home of the Rome Point harbor seal colony in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. This web site is the place to learn where, when, and how to observe harbor seals from the shore of the John H.Chafee Nature Preserve at Rome Point, located in North Kingstown, RI. Rome Point is the best place in southern New England to observe large numbers of wintering harbor seals from shore. Since 1999, I have had the pleasure of enjoying close to 500 seal walks and sharing close-up views of the seals through my spotting scope with at least 5000 friends, neighbors, and seal seekers from all over the world. Rome Point is one of Rhode Island's most spectacular natural treasures; on a good day the seal watching experience rivals any wildlife sightings you are likely to observe in most US National Parks.
This web site is a guide to having a successful and fun seal watching hike at Rome Point. The information presented here will enable you to locate and responsibly observe the seals. This site is published as a public service by amateur naturalists on a volunteer basis. Thanks for visiting Romepointseals.org!
Update - April 24 There are reports coming in from Maine of seal having their pups in March... two months earlier than usual. We have changed our vacation schedule for our annual trip to Maine in recent years so we can observe mother seals interacting with their pups, but last year there were no nursing pups to be found in the third week of June. Ten years ago we would see harbor seals nursing their pups in the first week of July, but the seal pupping season has been getting earlier year by year. We are observing similar activity among other animals, especially raptors which we monitor closely. The natural world as we have known it in our lifetime is changing at a rate that is unprecedented and we are convinced there is overwhelming evidence that human activities play a major role in the changes we are observing.
Be sure to check out the Recent Observations... link for a season-ending summary and essay; thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in the amazing seal show at Rome Point and thanks to everyone who takes the time to check out this website.
This video: Big Seal Day 2011 was made in March 2011 and we used this footage for our recently concluded seal counting contest. The actual count of seals in that video clip is 111 seals. We made another video of a few seal observation highlights from 2011 and we have posted the video on Youtube. To view this 7 minute video, just click on this link: Rome Point Seals 2011 Also, a seal watching friend was kind enough to send me a link to this video of an elephant seal in South America. Seal Meets Girl Remember, do not approach any seals that you may encounter along the New England shore, as they are different critters than the elephant seal in the video and are much more likely to bite than to snuggle.
Welcome to the Internet home of the Rome Point harbor seal colony in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. This web site is the place to learn where, when, and how to observe harbor seals from the shore of the John H.Chafee Nature Preserve at Rome Point, located in North Kingstown, RI. Rome Point is the best place in southern New England to observe large numbers of wintering harbor seals from shore. Since 1999, I have had the pleasure of enjoying close to 500 seal walks and sharing close-up views of the seals through my spotting scope with at least 5000 friends, neighbors, and seal seekers from all over the world. Rome Point is one of Rhode Island's most spectacular natural treasures; on a good day the seal watching experience rivals any wildlife sightings you are likely to observe in most US National Parks.
This web site is a guide to having a successful and fun seal watching hike at Rome Point. The information presented here will enable you to locate and responsibly observe the seals. This site is published as a public service by amateur naturalists on a volunteer basis. Thanks for visiting Romepointseals.org!
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