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| Seals Are Back In Sandy Hook Bay
SEALS ARE BACK IN SANDY HOOK BAY Last Saturday around mid-day I went to Horseshoe Cove, located along the bayside of the Sandy Hook peninsular and in close proximity to Fort Hancock, to see if I could find some winter seal activity. Even though harbor and grey seals are common visitors to Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay, I have yet to observe any seal activity this winter. Seals usually begin to appear in November and reach their greatest abundance in winter and early spring. Scattered sightings of seal activity this winter have already been recorded by NJ Fish and Wildlife personal in the Manasquan River back in December. So, it seemed to me that with the break up of the river ice due to the recent thaw that now was a decent time to start looking for some seal activity in Sandy Hook Bay. Since the enactment in the early 1970s of both the Clean Water Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the population of seals along the northeast coastline has been on the rise. Harbor and grey seals spend the summer breeding along coastal waters in Maine or Canada. Then starting in autumn they migrate south to shoals, inlets, and remote islands near Cape Cod, Long Island, New Jersey, and even as far south as North Carolina each winter. Their diet consists of a variety of fish, squid, shrimp, and crabs. Owing to thick layer of blubber surrounding their bodies, these pelagic species enjoy swimming in cold, salty waters. This past weekend the beach was lovely. Instead of the coast being harsh and cold for the first weekend in February, the weather was entirely welcoming with sunny blue skies, light winds, and a high temperature near a relatively toasty 50ºF. I came to the spot where I had seen seal activity last year, and geared up my scope and binoculars. Glancing over Horseshoe Cove with the scope, I suddenly spotted the head of a harbor seal bobbing up and down. The critter was probably getting some air. The seal didn’t stay long, however, and disappeared into bay waters after less than a minute. Over the course of the weekend, I spotted more events of seal activity. Some of the highlights included catching sight of one seal sunning itself for a brief time on a bayside beach at Sandy Hook on Saturday, and observing three seals sunning themselves on a large chuck of river ice near the mouth of Many Mind Creek on Sunday afternoon. Rhode Island Sea Grant asserts that harbor seals are the most common seal in the United States. Atlantic populations as of the late 1990s were estimated to be 29,000 to 35,000. Unfortunately, all the seal activity last weekend occurred in quick flashes or at a distance so as to deter me from accurately identifying whether I was viewing harbor seals, grey seals, or perhaps another less common species, such as harp seals or hooded seals. Yet, the evidence of seal activity in Sandy Hook Bay illustrates once again how important the bay waters are to a diversity of species, even to endearing large marine mammals. Still after centuries of intensive use, local bay waters remain a highly productive natural resource for many species, not just to humans. If we want to preserve Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook, and their many delights for future generations, we must take personal responsibility for their protection and preservation. We need to realize that individual actions impact bay waters everyday. We need, in part, to eliminate the amount of litter and toxic materials that enter the bay, and preserve what small amount of open space remains. I hope there will always be enough good habitat in Sandy Hook Bay for people to take pleasure in the seasonal sight of seals. We should all wish for people to forever recognize the fundamental value of marine mammals in Sandy Hook Bay and that proper actions, such as the purchase and protection of open spaces along the coast, are made to guarantee their future. | ||||||||
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