Mellow seals aside, this was an excellent seal watch with well-posed seals all over the rocks, and around 1530 the light for the scope improved greatly allowing for zoomed-in, crystal clear views of the seals. The good number of fortunate seal seekers who were out for a walk today got close-up looks at a large aggregation of sleeping harbor seals, and it has been a while since we enjoyed such pleasant conditions on a weekend. Many of the seals we observed today were hauled-out in the same spots they occupied on Wednesday, including Copper, the harbor seal with the showy red/chocolate coat shown in the photo below.

Wednesday 3/27/2024  - 127 seals hauled out, 55 degrees, cloudy, NE 5 to calm, 14:00. 7 seals on far rock and 1 at Greene Point for 135 seals total.
Favorable weather conditions had us hustling from an unexpected work assignment to get to Rome Point as soon as we could, but unfortunately, we arrived too late to observe the haul-out action. We are sure we missed out on a bunch of entertaining behavior with so many seals hauled out on a calm day, but we were not disappointed as the seals continued to skirmish with their neighbors and the NE breeze carried the sound of their frequent vocalizations to our waiting ears. The seals were especially noisy today and several groups of seals had a hard time reaching agreement on their personal space requirements, which caused so much growling and grunting tat we wished we had some suitable recording gear with us. We noted numerous seals that we recognized including Big Red, a seal with double necklace scars, and a seal we have seen in past years that we call "Copper". Our first recorded sighting of the seal that looks like a shiny old penny when it is wet on a sunny day was in January 2017. Color variations are not that uncommon in harbor seals, but most of these seals have fur that is tinted only on their upper torso, neck, and head. Copper, however, is a reddish shade of chocolate all over; this is so uncommon that we are certain we are seeing the same seal today (at least 100 lbs heavier) that we observed  7 years ago.

Sunday 3/24/2024  - 40 seals hauled out, 42 degrees, partly cloudy, NNE 15 to 25, 12:30.
We missed out on the good seal days last week due to a business trip, and with a bunch of sketchy weather in the forecast for next week we took a chance on a day when we knew the stiff north wind was going to affect the seal watching. The seals were up to the challenge, and some of them braved breaking waves on the flat rock that gave them repeated soakings. Big Red the resident Grey seal took up station in a position that placed the wind at his back on the ridge rock, which was only filled to about 50% capacity. No additional seals arrived during our brief visit, which ended early due to our low tolerance for viewing the seals through a spotting scope that is shaking in the wind. With no prospects of finding shelter from the wind and a relatively low number of seals hauling out, we departed much sooner than we would prefer on the first sunny Sunday of Spring 2024.

Wednesday 3/13/2024  - 57 seals hauled out, 58 degrees, clear, S 5 to 10, 15:00. Today was very similar to yesterday except the young seals that put on the best show yesterday were much more subdued. We had hoped to see more seals, but a building south wind in the afternoon during haul-out time served to quell the size of the seal turnout once more. Big Red made a brief appearance on the Ridge rock, but this seal did not hang around long and Red's departure was the first clue that the seals were in a fussy mood. Once the flat rock was exposed and no seals hauled out on this prime real estate, we knew that this was not going to be a big seal day. No worries though, as a good turnout of visitors and well-posed seals in good light made for a fun seal watch on a nice late winter day.

One thing that was not so nice about our seal observations today was the presence of a seal with a net entanglement around its neck. We regularly spot seals with tell-tale "necklace" scars that are caused by rope or netting that has rotted away, leaving a distinctive circular mark. The seal shown below still has the net cord around its neck, and the strands flapping in the breeze seem to cause the poor animal some distress. We watched this seal closely, and it finally settled down and seemed able to nap after it found some shelter from the wind behind a neighboring seal. This maneuver alleviated the irritating rope flapping, and provided some relief for a seal that is going to have a hard time until that netting comes off.

Wednesday 3/13/2024  - 58 seals hauled out, 52 degrees, clear, S 5 to 20, 14:30. The 5 mph wind speed lasted about 5 minutes after our arrival on the beach and the south wind quickly built to a gusty 15 to 20, which sent us scurrying to the shelter of the trees. A big wind during the time when seals are arriving to haul out usually results in fewer seals on the rocks, and that pattern held true today. Nonetheless, seal observation was quite good for a while, with a pair of yearlings on the white rock, Big Red atop the ridge rock, and about 50 other seals well positioned under good lighting conditions. There were a couple of rounds of aerial acrobatics, courtesy of several feisty young seals who were undaunted in the face of a stiff breeze. The rising wind eventually daunted some of the seals as well as the seal watchers and when about 10 seals departed 1 1/2 hours before low tide, we took a cue from those seals and headed for the parking lot ourselves.

Sunday 3/10/2024  - 93 seals hauled out, 50 degrees, clear to partly cloudy, WNW 10 to 20, 14:00. 4 seals on far rock and 1 at Greene Point for 98 seals total. A more comfortable day at the beach today with the seals' behavior during the two hour haul out period even more energetic and entertaining than yesterday. There was a lot of breaching and flipper slapping  as mildly frustrated seals waited for the rocks to become available during the dropping tide. When the bay surface is choppy and wind driven wave splash hard against the rocks, the seals will wait to take up their rest stations until the splashing and sloshing level becomes acceptable. Some seals will calmly bottle and drift, while other seals act out in an manner that visibly demonstrates their impatience. There is sometimes an interval of about 40 minutes before additional rocks become sufficiently exposed to provide a suitable resting place when the surf is up, and we often observe some of the most interesting behavior while the seals are waiting for the water level to drop.

A number of large transient seals have taken over the taller rocks where the smaller seals in the group that wintered here have been perched for the past 3 months, leaving those seals with less desirable resting rock choices that only become available later in the ebb tide. These small seals are often the stars of the haul out show, as they are more prone to jumping or pairing for some splashy playtime or courtship role playing. When the time came for the flat rock to be occupied, this rock that is favored by the dominant large seals became a veritable battle zone for almost 1/2 hour, as transient and local seals battled for supremacy. Additional entertainment was provided by Big Red's return appearance and by the seal on the pointy rock, who performed a slow-motion 360 degree pivot that took 1 1/2 hours to complete.

It took the better part of 2 hours for the seals to settle down, and we decided to hang out to share the spotting scope with the anticipated arrival of more seal seekers on a Sunday afternoon. Interestingly, after 1:00 more than half a dozen small groups of two or three people showed up at the seal beach, but no one approached us or showed an interest in our presence. We are not inclined to be overly assertive in asking people if they want to get a close-up look at the seals, as our mentors have coached us to be respectful so as not to intrude upon the nature experience of others. On most days, we find a happy medium and in some cases we will approach families with children so the kids can see the seals, but today we went for almost two hours on a fairly busy Sunday without showing the seals to anyone. This has happened before on a few occasions over the years, and we wonder why there are times when the social flow on the seal beach seems to be more distant than usual. We know that socialization can be contagious, and when people see other folks checking out the seals through the scope they are more likely to partake in the fun themselves, but the reason why once in a while everyone seems more inclined to keep to themselves remains a mystery to us. We are not troubled by this, but this aspect of public wildlife observation puzzles us every time that we have this experience.

Saturday 3/9/2024  - 91 seals hauled out, 38 degrees, cloudy, SE 10 to 15+, 11:00. 1 seal on far rock for 92 seals total.
We were not deterred by the chilly sea breeze today, so we powered through the cold fingers to enjoy the most interesting seal behavior show so far this season. We watched most of the herd haul out, with plenty of breaching and flipper slapping behavior to entertain us. Big Red the Grey seal was perched high atop the ridge rock, and numerous other seals put on a good show with all manner of the interesting mannerisms that make the seal so much fun to observe. Crystal clear light for close-up observation was a bonus, and we had enough company in the woods to help the time pass quickly. The weather has not been the best outdoor activities lately, but when the seal watching is this good, we will tolerate a couple of hours of mild discomfort for the sake of the high quality wildlife observation we enjoyed on our last two visits to Rome Point. 

Wednesday 3/6/2024  - 126 seals hauled out, 48 degrees, cloudy with light fog, SSE calm to 15, 10:30. 6 seals on far rock for 132 seals total.
The first day in 2024 with over 100 seals on the rocks was a welcome harbinger of Spring in the midst of a run of unsettled weather that looks like it will persist for a while. We paid no heed to the sketchy weather conditions after the ever-handy Rt 138 webcam for the Jamestown bridge showed us the visibility was adequate for seal observation despite low clouds and light mist. By the time we arrived at the beach 125 harbor seals plus 1 Grey seal (none other than Big Red) were hauled out and, for the most part, sleeping soundly. However, with this many seals present there are ongoing territorial skirmishes and associated vocalization throughout the tide cycle, today mostly on the right mound and center cluster. At 1100 the southerly wind picked up and we retreated into the trees for the final 1/2 hour of a solitary seal watch on a dreary morning, gratified that the large number of seals that we predicted would arrive in early March showed up to gift us with the notion that we might have a slight understanding of these animals' behavior after observing them for all these years.

Tuesday 2/27/2024  - 62 seals hauled out, 47 degrees, clear with haze, S 10 to 15, 13:30. 3 seals on far rock for 65 seals total.
We have enjoyed a lot of seal watching lately, as our newly semi-retired status has given us the precious gift of bountiful free time to spend enjoying our favorite recreational activities. During the winter months and into the spring, seal watching is at the top of our to do list on days when the observation opportunity looks promising. Today we would likely have chosen another way to spend the afternoon, had we not been aware of the weather and tide predictions for the next 7 days, which look to be anything but promising as far as seal watching is concerned. So, in the spirit of not taking a good enough seal day for granted,  we made the trek out to the seal beach, and as usual the seal show was worthy of the time invested. The seals were stirred up by the unsettling south wind, and this made them interesting to watch for the hour we spent sheltered among the trees. Only a few other visitors joined us, but one group was absolutely thrilled to see the seals, and we were glad for the company on a typical seal day when we found ourselves anticipating the outstanding springtime marine mammal observation opportunities that will be coming soon to Narragansett Bay

Monday 2/26/2024 - 54 seals hauled out, 51 degrees, clear with some haze, SW 15+ to 10, 14:00. Warm and lots of people for a Monday, with good light and well-posed seals for everyone to enjoy. We saw seal with the double necklace scar for the first time in a couple of months, this seal looks healthy but we wonder where it has been hanging out. We observed one lengthy fight on the left mound among two frenemies who usually share this rock without issue. We recognize this pair of seals as regular occupants of this rock that has room for just two seals, and the same two seals use this rock time and again with no consternation. This was not the case today however, and after their long dispute was resolved they remained positioned on the rock tail-to-tail in opposite directions in a manner that suggested the behavior of a human romantic couple after a spat.

We moved closer the shoreline to stay in the sun, as the beach was sheltered from the southwest wind and we found a few beachcomber treasures. We have been watching the gulls catch and eat sea stars, and today we spotted the first live sea star at the waterline that we have seen in eight years. We left this fine specimen in the water with best hopes that it would not become a meal for a herring gull. Thinking back to the days before the big mortality event when sea stars were much more common, we do not recall the gulls engaging in this feeding on sea stars behavior, which is so interesting and common this season that we wonder how we could not have noticed it in years past. In any event, our sea star find inspired additional beach combing effort from my partner, who then found a large intact tail from a horseshoe crab, which we have learned is properly named a "telson".   

Sunday 2/25/2024 - 50 seals hauled out, 35 degrees, clear, NE 5 to E5 to SE10+ to SSW 10, 14:00.
A Sunday "fun-day" seal watch that was made more enjoyable by the pleasant company we kept with all the friendly seal seekers who came out to Rome Point on a day where we had to deal with a chilly SE wind in the afternoon. We enjoyed some good haul-out action with a nice couple who shared our fascination with wildlife watching as a hobby early in the tide, as seals showed some consternation in sorting out resting positions on the right mound and flat rock. Around 1:00pm the wind shifted to SE and picked up which sent us seeking the shelter of the cedar trees to continue our observations. Fortunately, this chilly wind shift coincided with the arrival of a steady procession of eager seal seekers, and we enjoyed a couple of hours of seal show and tell, which we enjoy almost as much as observing the interesting antics of the seals.

Friday 2/23/2024 - 80 seals hauled out, 43 degrees, cloudy to light rain, calm, 14:00. 4 seals on far rock for 84 seals total. 
The weather took an unexpected turn for the better in the middle of the day, so we hustled out to Rome Point for a quick observation to take advantage of our favorite seal weather conditions: cloudy and calm. In stark contrast to yesterday, we only encountered one other visitor during our hour on the beach. We put this seal watching alone time to good use to make close careful observations of the individual animals. The cloudy calm conditions created an excellent opportunity for photographic documentation, with good light for close-ups and seals posed prominently with no wind to bother them. We use the photos to help us identify seals and to create a record of the haul-out rocks that individual seals may prefer. Of course, the photos are often amusing as well as is the case with the stretching seal shown in the photo below.

The red ball which this seal appears to be balancing on its nose is actually a buoy floating in the background. Today was an excellent day for photography because heavy cloud cover inhibits optical distortion created by infra-red absorption (shimmering mirage-like "heat waves"), allowing for clear telescopic images. When we refer to "good light" for the scope this is what we are talking about, and good light makes a big difference in image quality for viewing and photography. Sun angle, humidity, and wind all interact to create the lighting conditions on any given day, and we are always pleased when the light is favorable for clear close-up viewing as it was today. We downsize the photos we post due to file size considerations, but the 3+mp versions of some pictures we take are clear enough to be suitable for framing.

Thursday 2/22/2024 - 46 seals hauled out, 38 degrees, clear, S 10 to 15+ to 5+, 11:00. 4 seals on far rock for 50 seals total. We enjoyed the most sociable seal watch of the season today as a fine turnout of seal seeking families took advantage of the winter school break and came out in search of seals. The seal searchers who made their way to the point were certainly not disappointed, as they discovered numerous seals handsomely posed on the rocks under good light for zooming in with the spotting scope. A fresh south wind kept us up in the shelter of the cedar trees all day, and when the breeze picked up around noon, about 20 seals decided that they had enough splashing and left the rocks.  The wind was sufficiently strong to penetrate the sheltering cedars, and we considered leaving during the lunchtime visitor lull. However, our refresher course in patience that we  were gifted with on Tuesday, served us well, as the wind soon abated and a steady procession of families kept us occupied on the beach until 3:30. Near the end of our visit, we watched one feisty small seal leap from the water 9 times over the course of 2 minutes, while the other onlookers present remained oblivious to this spectacular seal behavior. We spent 5 hours on the Rome Point shore today, and while the seals were not especially entertaining, all the well-mannered friendly families we met today were the reason why the time flew by in the blink of a seal's eye.

Tuesday 2/20/2024 - 29 seals hauled out, 32 degrees, clear, N to NE <5 to 15, 13:00. 3 seals on far rock for 32 seals total.
The seals and the weather seemingly conspired to try our patience today, but in the end we were rewarded with an interesting, worthwhile seal watch.  Our morning got off to an inauspicious start as we left our phone on the charger and the binoculars in the car, which signified our distracted mindset from the get go. When we arrived at the beach, we were greeted by a chilly NE breeze, crappy light for the scope, and a small group of 17 fidgety, unsettled seals. The next few hours we shivered and sniveled mostly alone on the beach and became more unsettled ourselves as the time passed, which is highly uncharacteristic of our usual disposition when we are wildlife watching. Several times we pondered our sanity and considered leaving, but the promise of diminishing wind and some afternoon seal watching company was barely sufficient to keep us on the beach. The most entertaining event of our first two hours at Rome Point was the single loud call of a nearby loon, which startled us, but turned out to be a sign that our seal watching fortunes were about to change.

Our mood was bolstered by the arrival of Dorian, Michaela, and Isabella, which coincided with a change in the seal activity on the rocks. Suddenly a full 1 1/2 hours after low tide, a fresh contingent of seals arrived and brought with them enough interesting behavior to vastly improve the seal watching. The flat rock which was previously bereft of seals was eventually occupied by 8 large specimens, who hauled out clumsily and jostled each other for our viewing pleasure. Additional big seals hauled out on other rocks as well and these additional 12 seals gave our afternoon seal watching friends something interesting to see and talk about. As the tide rose, we were amazed to see the seals settle for the first time all day. Then, when the water level became high enough to cause seals to leave their resting rocks, these big seals elected to climb onto higher ground instead of heading out to sea. This is a rare occurrence, so we were thrilled to see the largest harbor seals awkwardly clambering up on high perches such as the right twin and the ridge rock for the purpose of extending their nap time. As we finally packed up to leave to prepare for a birthday celebration, we took a moment to consider the value of persevering in our seal watching quest today, and vowed to remember this day for motivational purposes the next time our wild animal observation outing is a bit uncomfortable and gets off to a slow start

Monday 2/19/2024 - 39 seals hauled out, 42 degrees, clear, WNW 5 to 15 13:00. 4 seals on far rock for 43 seals total.
We enjoyed a sociable Washington's Birthday seal watch with a number of holiday seal seekers joining us on the beach for the fun. The highlight of the day was the presence of Big Red, our favorite visiting Grey seal, whose appearance today marked the ninth year we have spotted this distinctive red-headed seal on the rocks. Big Red was hauled out on his favorite perch on the left tall rocks, posed in a profile position that allowed us to take the photo shown below.

Grey seals are not a big deal at many locations but it is unusual to see them at Rome Point. Harbor seals and Grey seals do not commonly haul out together, but Big Red is known to get in among the cluster of Harbor seals and make himself (or herself?) right at home. We did not hear Big Red pipe up with the mournful wail of the Grey seal today, but  we are hoping that with several days of east wind forecast Big Red will hang around and we may yet be treated to a concert performance by one of our favorite vocalists.

Monday 2/12/2024 - 51 seals hauled out, 42 degrees, partly cloudy, SE 10 to 15 14:30. Sometimes when we have nothing more pressing to do, we like to walk out to Rome Point on days when the conditions are less than ideal for seal observation. The exercise and fresh air always make the walk worthwhile, and we are interested to see how the seals behave under a variety of weather conditions. Today was one of those days, as we knew before we left the house that the brisk SE breeze is not the seals' favorite, or pleasant for seal watchers and hikers who are exposed to the chilly sea breeze. Fortunately for us, the cedar trees provided an ample windbreak when we set up the scope 8 feet back in the woods, and the seals were hunkered down in a settled resting mood. On windy days when there are choppy waves we have noted that the seals will frequently settle and begin to nap more quickly after hauling out than they generally do under calmer conditions. Our seal watch today was brief, but satisfying in that we acquired an additional observation for our consideration under less than optimal conditions.

Sunday 2/11/2024 - 72 seals hauled out, 43 degrees, cloudy, NW 10+ 15:00. 4 seals on far rock for 76 seals total. Good seal action today as we arrived early enough to watch the seal herd haul out on the rocks. There was plenty of jumping and tail slapping activity that was sufficiently spectacular to evoke oohs and ahhs from the onlookers, myself included. The seals were on all the rocks and well posed for viewing, considering the NW wind which sometimes causes the seals on exposed rocks to turn their backs to the beach. The wind seemed to keep the seals on edge more than usual, but by 1430 they finally settled into their rest mode.

We have recently been observing some interesting herring gull behavior at Rome point. The gulls are diving in osprey-like fashion to capture sea stars for a meal, which we have never observed on any kind of regular basis. Watching the gulls procure their snack and then drop the sea star on the beach repeatedly in an effort to break off the legs is entertaining to watch, if perhaps a less successful breaking technique that the gulls would prefer. Sea stars apparently have more bounce to the ounce than crabs or mollusks and are not easily shattered even when dropped on rocks from a considerable height. The frustrated gulls are often compelled to pick their prey to pieces, which takes more effort but works well enough until they get down to the last two legs. Two adjacent legs are oriented such that often, the gulls can't get sufficient leverage to break them apart, which presents a problem to the hungry birds. It is very amusing to see the gulls resolve this issue by turning the "V" in their beaks and consuming a "V" pair of sea star legs point first, which invariable causes them some consternation when the seat star gets stuck halfway down their gullet. The gulls have several techniques to deal with this issue, including craning their distended necks straight up into the air while flapping or jumping. They will also sip seawater to lubricate the passage down the hatch. We would not wish to see these birds suffer, and fortunately after a period of apparent discomfort all the gulls we have observed have flown off none the worse for the experience.

It is also notable that the once plentiful sea stars are making a comeback after an extensive mass die off event some years ago. Its good to have them back so today's generation of children can enjoy the wonder of finding them cast upon the shore by waves, and experience the heroic satisfaction of returning living specimens to the water, as my granddaughter once did at Rome Point.

Saturday 2/10/2024 - 80 seals hauled out, 48 degrees, sunny to cloudy, SW 10 13:00. 4 seals on far rock for 84 seals total.
There is a first time for everything, and today in the confusion caused by switching vehicles around we neglected to bring along our spotting scope for the first time in over 1000 seal observations. I would rather forget my pants than forget my scope on a fine warm seal day, but once you get to the parking lot and realize the pack in the trunk is not the scope pack, there is nothing to do but keep calm and seal on. So seal on we did, with enjoyable success using our trusty Pentax 10x50 binoculars. The seals put on a pretty good show, which would have been even better had we arrived earlier, as there were more than 40 seals already hauled out 2 1/2 hours before low tide. We were fortunate to find a good location to sit, as extended attentive viewing using binoculars benefits greatly from having a stable platform to minimize optical shake. We use binoculars frequently when observing wildlife and it is a perfectly satisfying way to watch seals, especially when they are active, as they were for our first hour on the beach. However, we missed using the scope for close-up observation and identification after the seals settled and wished we had brought it along to share with the good turn out of seal seeking families. With no scope to share we decided to depart during the lunchtime lull in arriving visitors, with best hopes that another 1000 seal watches will pass before we forget our spotting scope again.

Thursday 2/1/2024 - 37 seals hauled out, 36 degrees, cloudy, SW 10 to 15 16:00.2024 - 37 seals hauled out, 36 degrees, cloudy, SW 10 to 15 16:00. We managed to work in a quick seal hike as part of our dog walk today, mainly because bad weather and poorly timed tides made for minimal seal observation opportunities in January. We enjoyed a real good run of seal watching in December, and we have learned to be grateful for those days when mother nature bestows her blessings upon us. We know that the natural world is constantly changing and the weather will eventually come back around to favor wildlife observation. Other changes, such as the effects of beach erosion we have seen all along the South County shoreline from storms are this winter, will likely be more long-lasting. Great or small, slow or fast, change is the way of the natural world and we are always pleased just to be along for the ride. Today may have been a nondescript seal watch with poor light and lazy seals, but it was still a fine way to enjoy a gray, damp, mid-winter afternoon.
 
Monday 1/16/2024 - 49 seals hauled out, 28 degrees, cloudy, SSW 10 to 15 15:00. 2 seals on far rock for 51 seals total.
Good seal watching today, in spite of conditions that challenged our patience on a holiday afternoon. The walk on the beach was unusually hard on our aging knees, as recent storms have erased the hard-packed footpath and replaced the good footing with loose sand and uneven rocks. We noted several families who found this walk too challenging for younger kids, so we had a more solitary seal watch than we expected on a school day off. The light for the scope was only fair at best, and the more blustery wind gusts were chilly, but we enjoyed a half hour of worthwhile seal observation as the seals breached and splashed upon their arrival at the rocks. As the clouds thickened, the lighting improved and a few later arriving seal watchers got good close-up looks at well-positioned seals on the ridge rock and 'twins' rocks. By 3 pm we were shivering and alone on the beach so our seal watch ended with a hint of disappointment at the light turn-out and sore knees that were the most notable aspects of this M.L.K. holiday afternoon at Rome Point.

Friday 1/12/2024 - 90 seals hauled out, 42 degrees, clear to high thin clouds, NW 5 to NE 5 13:30. 4 seals on far rock for 94 seals total. A big seal turnout today, on a nice day sandwiched between a couple of nasty storms. We have long noted the seals' ability to predict the weather, and when they get a respite from a storm that has passed, they usually haul out in good numbers, especially when there is more unsettled weather on the way. The seals were out early on an astronomical low tide, and with numerous seals competing for good resting rocks there were nearly continuous territory skirmishes for the first hour of our observation. Light wind and loud seals created a cacophony of grunts and growls that were apparent to everyone who visited the beach before the seals finally settled down around 1:15. We noted the presence of a single Grey seal on the center cluster rock, who remained silent to our mild dismay, as the mournful wail of the Grey seal is always a welcome addition to the any seal watch. The light for the scope was great, many seals were perched in picturesque poses, and the good number of visitors who came out to enjoy a winter walk this afternoon were treated to an excellent marine mammal observation experience.
 
Monday 1/1/2024 - 42 seals hauled out, 38 degrees, mostly cloudy, N5 to NE10 14:30. 3 seals on far rock for 45 seals total.
A happy, New Year's day seal watch for the steady procession of families who chose to take a hike to see the seals on the first day or 2024. A good number of seals were perched on taller rocks, which provided good views for the eager observers of all ages. The seals were out early in the ebb tide, which was fortunate for seal seekers who arrived a full 3 hours before low tide, such as myself, on a day when the astronomical tide was fairly high. Active seals breached occasionally, and it took a long time for the seal herd to settle into deep resting mode. A fresh northeast breeze kicked up at about 1430, which kept the seals unsettled; the arrival of a boat at 14:45 flushed about half of the seals and kept the herd on edge for another hour. By 1345, most of the seals that flushed had returned and the sun broke through the clouds to cast it's golden light on the seals, who were now resting soundly while basking in the afterglow of the best seal watching day so far this season.

Saturday 12/30/2023 - 37 seals hauled out, 43 degrees, Cloudy, NW10+ 15:00. 3 seals on far rock for 40 seals total.
An interesting seal watch with late arriving seals that were stirred up due to an oncoming cold front. The seals showed marked impatience waiting for the tide to drop sufficiently to permit them to rest comfortably in the presence of splashy, unsettling waves. Some of the seals burned off their nervous energy by jumping repeatedly out of the water during several fine displays of breaching behavior, while a few other seals were engaged in disputes over the prized rocks that were suitable for hauling out, and some of those disputes were fairly emphatic. All of this activity made for an hour and a half of entertaining marine mammal observation this afternoon, which pleased the fortunate seal seeking families who chose this day for a seal hike at Rome Point.

Friday 12/29/2023 - 48 seals hauled out, 48 degrees, Cloudy, calm to SW5 15:00. 3 seals on far rock for 51 seals total.
We were glad for a break in the dreary weather today, as seal watching this Christmas holiday week was adversely affected by damp foggy weather. The seals were in a serene, sleepy mood on this warm, calm winter day, and the light was not especially good for observation with the spotting scope. We took note of the calm conditions today because the wind has been uncharacteristically still during all of our recent seal watches. A review of 25 years of seal watching weather records revealed that we have never before seen such a lengthy period of calm, warm weather in December (or Jan., Feb., or Mar. for that matter). The weather pattern for the past month has featured a 24-hour storm each week or so, followed by days of unseasonably calm and mild weather. We are weather watching enthusiasts, and are pleased that our past observations were useful for revealing this weather anomaly.

The seals were not active at all by the time we arrived, save one seal who attracted our interest initially by coughing repeatedly. We watched this seal as it had several coughing fits while bottling, raising its nose vertically every time it coughed. The large seal would then swim for a bit in a somewhat agitated fashion, with some tail slapping and less-than-energetic breaching. Occasionally the afflicted animal would pause to pick a brief fight with two seals on the right side of the flat rock, and at one point it managed to dislodge the smaller of those seals and take its resting spot. This seal was not yet ready for a nap however, and it resumed its strange coughing and swimming behavior for another 20 minutes, with some more energetic breaching that was pleasing to observe for the seal watchers present to see this highlight of today's seal show.

Tuesday 12/26/2023 - 55 seals hauled out, 47 degrees, Mostly heavy fog to cloudy, calm to NE5 14:00. 4 seals on far rock for 59 seals total.
This seal hike was all about the weather, as a highly unusual thick winter fog persisted much longer than forecast. There are foggy days on the bay of course, but rarely in late December and typically fog will burn off by late morning. Today the humidity, air temperature, water temperature, and lack of wind combined to sustain a consistent layer of heavy fog that seemed as though it would never break. We could barely discern the faint outlines of the seal rocks for the first hour we spent on the beach, and had to occupy our time listening for occasional coughs and grunts that signified the presence of seals on the rocks. We remained on the beach hoping the fog would eventually lift and grace us with an opportunity to show the seals to the holiday week seal seeking families who braved the fog and made the hike all the way to the point.

By 1320, we had almost given up, as the highest angle of the sun has passed and the mist showed no signs of abating. Our spirit was raised by the timely arrival of friendly and enthusiastic Jen, who brought her spotting scope gift from Santa that she was eager to play with. As we enjoyed a pleasant chat, I detected a slight improvement in the visibility, such that I could make out the vague forms of seals resting on the rocks. Over the next 10 minutes the optical conditions gradually improved, in a manner suggesting the opening of a Christmas gift. Much to our delight, the seals slowly became clearly visible and the clarity of the air continued to improve, to the point where the conditions were excellent for telescopic viewing. We enjoyed a 30 minute window of opportunity to make close observations of the seals, before the fog returned and ended our seal watching for this afternoon. Our one-of-a-kind seal watch today will be long remembered for the unique way that our window into the habitat of the seals opened and closed over such a short time, in a way we never experienced at Rome Point before.

Sunday 12/24/2023 - 54 seals hauled out, 42 degrees, cloudy with occasional mist, calm 12:30. 1 seal on far rock for 55 seals total.
A good time on the beach with a fair number of seal seeking families joining us for a Christmas eve nature show. Seals were perched on the taller rocks today which makes for interesting viewing, and lately some especially handsome seals have been hauling out on and adjacent to the table rock. The seal with the double ring net scar was spotted with head and tail hanging off both ends of the slanted rock, always a striking pose that pleases onlookers of all ages.

The light for the scope was exceptional for a while so we took a few photos for identification purposes. A comparison of one of these pics to a photo taken in 2021 confirmed that the spotted seal on the pointy rock is the same seal I have been seeing at that spot semi-regularly for the past two seasons. This seal is not yet as fully invested in this haul out hang out as was the former resident of the pointy rock... the legendary Linebelly, as sometimes a different seal may take the pointy rock. Nonetheless, the more recent arrival looks like a promising successor to the regal Linebelly's throne, and time will tell whether this newcomer develops the charismatic personality, agile balance, and royal demeanor of the seal that was once a Rome Point favorite.

Saturday 12/23/2023 - 43 seals hauled out, 34 degrees, clear, NE to SE 5 11:30. 1 seal on far rock for 44 seals total.
A delightful seal hike today, with plenty of activity to keep us engaged for a 3-hour observation period. As we walked out to the beach we were greet by the sound of shotguns firing from Bissel Cove, which generally signifies two things: unsettled seals, and fewer people making the trek to the point. Waterfowl hunting season is in until January 21, and every year there are days when hunters enjoy their chosen pastime, using decoys and full camouflage to entice ducks and geese in the cove to venture within shooting range. We have no quarrel with responsible hunters who are following the regulations, and the hunting usually ends by mid-morning before most hikers are out and about. There were also about 10 people digging for quahogs in the cove and we were surprised that these two groups managed to share the cove in peace, as these two activities are not especially compatible. As expected, the occasional gunfire, muffled somewhat by the easterly wind, got the seals attention but did not spook them. As for people, we had no other visitors on the beach with us until after the hunters departed.

The seals were determined to take their rest today, undeterred by the sounds of gunshots or by a couple of motorboats who ventured close to the rocks to get some seal photos. We took advantage of the nice weather and lack of other seal watchers to make close observations for an extended time, which for us is a treasured and pleasurable exercise in mindful, present practice. Today was the first time in a while that we were really on our attentive observation game, and as subtle details of nature revealed themselves our enjoyment of each moment intensified. A swooping belted kingfisher was revealed by a short clicking call, the the faint call of a loon drew our attention to a distant pair who were interacting using their customary neck and wing gestures. As for the seals, we observed the first yearling of the season, as well as a grey seal who was well concealed among the tightly pack group on the cluster rock. There was one brief territorial squabble which featured a bout of frantic flipper flapping, and a large seal who tried to get to the flat rock by climbing the steep front face at low tide 5 times before giving up and moving to the more gently sloped back of the rock. Seal watching sessions take a variety of forms and we were left grateful for this gift of a day, which was not social at all, however, the lack of people and dogs allowed us to immerse ourselves in nature to a depth that we have found to be more elusive in recent years.

Saturday 12/16/2023 - 3 seals hauled out, 52 degrees, clear, SW 5 14:30. 3 seals on far rock for 6 seals total.
We were not too surprised that the seals had been disturbed by watercraft and spooked off the haul out rocks before we arrived today, as a day this nice in December with a late afternoon low tide is the perfect setup for the seals to be scared away. However, as we reviewed the upcoming tide and weather forecast, we took heart in the realization that the upcoming Christmas holiday week seal watching has the potential to provide exceptional opportunities for everyone to enjoy a memorable seal hike with their family and friends.

Saturday 12/2/2023 - 27 seals hauled out, 54 degrees, partly cloudy, NW calm to 10 15:00. 4 seals on far rock for 31 seals total.
A mellow Saturday late afternoon seal hike today, with no other seal watchers on the beach when we arrived at 14:45. The seals were well settled two hours before low tide, and no additional seals arrived during the hour we were there. We were able to identify a half dozen seals today that we recognized from the past several years, which is sometimes easier to do when there are fewer seals present obstructing our view. Having no other people around also allows us to pay close continuous attention to the seals, and when the seals are not active, the best use of the observational opportunity is to do some identification checking.

At about 1525, the activity level picked up with the arrival of a sailboat on the scene. We know from past observation that quiet sailing vessels are viewed with suspicion by the seals, and they wanted no part of this solo sailor, who made a close approach with phone in hand hoping for close-up photos. The seals all flushed rapidly and watched from the safety of the water as the sailboat came about, apparently bumping onto a few rocks in the process. As the sailboat departed, the seals moved toward the haul out rocks and most of them would likely have hauled out again had another boat not showed up. This camouflage-colored john boat pulled right up to the white rock and one of the occupants actually climbed up on top of the rock to pose for a photo. This signaled to all seals present that stupid humans were in the house, and put an end to any chance for the seal herd to extend their rest period today. We took this performance in stride, knowing that soon enough colder temperatures would serve to help protect the seals from silly behavior by foolish people. We left wishing some of the folks out on the bay in boats today had the wisdom of the Barred Owl that we observed perched prominently on a tree limb as we hiked back the car.

Friday 11/16/2023 - 50 seals hauled out, 62 degrees, clear, SW 5 to calm 13:30. 5 seals on far rock for 55 seals total.
A brief and enjoyable seal hike for us today, once again accompanied by our dog Rayla the blue-eyed beauty. Shortly after our arrival on the beach, we were joined by a group of about 25 URI students, who were on a field trip with their professor. This group was well equipped with sport optics gear, and were clearly going to spend some time surveying the seals and checking out other bay shore ecology as well. All was well and good, but having this many people in close proximity was unsettling for our enthusiastic puppy, so we departed earlier than we would have if Rayla not been with us.

Friday 11/10/2023 - First seal walk of Fall 2023 seal season. 61 seals hauled out, 55 degrees, cloudy, calm 11:15. 4 seals on far rock for 65 seals total.
A very good early season seal watch today, with calm cloudy conditions that made for crystal clear telescopic optical conditions. The seals were napping pretty hard when we arrived, and a surprising number of seals were perched high atop the taller rocks. At about 1215 the seals on the tall rocks flushed for no apparent reason, but these seals all assumed new positions on lower rocks and continued to lounge after a brief swim.

This was the first seal walk for our new seal watching companion Rayla, who is a spirited sweetheart of Husky/Great Pyrenees lineage. She could not have been better behaved, but our feisty puppy is a handful to handle by myself, which affects my ability to conduct detailed close observation of the seals. On days when I am on a solo seal walk accompanied only by Rayla, my notes here will be brief, but, as anyone who has met Rayla will attest, her canine companionship is well worth the distraction and disturbance that comes with dog ownership. She is part of our Rome Point saga from this point forward, and we will surely have more to say about the dog/nature interaction in the future.