By Mike Busch

On Wednesday morning 3-20-19 I  checked out Cupsogue Beach and Moriches Inlet at Sunrise and checked out some Harbor Seal action.  Due to the full Moon tide, most of their haul out areas were submerged, with the only spot for them to rest a small group of rocks barely above the water.  The photos on page 1 were taken right after sunrise.  Some heavy equipment entered the park to move some sand around shortly after and scattered the seals.  I went to to check out the Inlet for a few minutes and returned to find even more squeezed onto the rocks and took advantage of the better light for more photos and video.  The highlight was a short flipper fight between two seals around the 2:40 mark in the video.

If you want to see these for yourself and learn more about these fascinating marine mammals I highly recommend a guided walk.  Dr. Artie Kopelman of CRESLI has dates open at Cupsogue Beach on Sunday March 31st and weekend dates through most of April.  Click here for more details.

For a bigger adventure, consider a  Seal Cruise out of Montauk.  The Viking Fleet and CRESLI are teaming up for some wonderful winter and spring Seal Watching Tours! Hop aboard the fast and luxurious 125 foot Viking Superstar for a ride to the pristine areas of Plum Island, Great Gull Island, and Little Gull Island for breathtaking views of Harbor Seals, Grey Seals, and perhaps Harp and Hooded seals too. Every trip will be narrated by a professional naturalist. The next trip will be Saturday April 6th.  Click here more details.

For those of you closer to the city, consider a Seal and Bird Watching Cruise with American Princess Cruises and Gotham Whale out of Riis Landing (near Rockaway in Queens) during the month of April.  Click here more details.

More Images on Pages 2 and 3