Sunday, April 22, 2018  -  Saturday late afternoon could have been very good seal watch, but kayaks, a boat, and even a drone teamed up to run off most of the seals. Lately, there have been 20 to 30 seals arriving early to take positions on the tall rocks, so there was some good seal observation earlier in the tide cycle. We have been seeing a ton (more like 15 tons to be more precise) of seals all week, as continued cool weather is keeping the seals in the area for an extended stay. This can't last much longer, and soon we expect most of the seals to depart for their summer habitat. However, the short term weather outlook is favorable, and if we are lucky we should continue to see big numbers of seals through the weekend.

Late afternoon today is set up for great seal observation again... if watercraft do not enter the area to work their seal chasing mischief. The latest wind forecast is for a diminishing wind in the afternoon, wonderful for the seals, but boats and kayaks may be present if the bay is relatively calm. Even if the seals are undisturbed by watercraft, we recommend arriving early in the ebb tide for the best chance to see large numbers of seals on the rocks. We are hopeful that this weekend will be a nice grand finale for this seal season, as the south wind in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday will almost certainly get the seals moving to their summer homes.

Here is a link to video showing an incredible aggregation of Grey seals on Cape Cod at Monomoy. Grey Seals on the Beach at Cape Cod

Some of our seal watching friends have shown an interest in sharks; this website is dedicated to tracking sharks that have been tagged with GPS satellite transponders. Ocearch Shark Tracker  

We have posted some short seal videos to Youtube for your seal watching amusement.  Seal Pup Follies was recorded in Maine in June 2012 and Linebelly Rising is a short clip showing the Rome Point kingpin climbing to the top of his favorite pointy rock. 

---

    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 more than 800 seal walks and sharing close-up views of the seals through my spotting scope with at least 8000 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!