Witness the Return of Sandy Hook Seals: Join Guided Hikes and Boat Tours for a Winter Wildlife Adventure

Seals are back at Sandy Hook for the winter, and it’s an exciting time to explore the area and observe these amazing marine mammals.

Every year, seals move south from colder places like New England and Canada to find food and a place to rest along the Jersey Shore.

Sandy Hook, in particular, is a popular spot for seals because it’s relatively quiet, offers sunny sandbars for resting, and has fish-filled waters for hunting.

This means it’s a great place to watch seals in their natural habitat, and there are different ways to do this through guided hikes or boat tours.

One of the best ways to see seals this season is to join a guided seal hike organized by the American Littoral Society, a nonprofit group that protects and monitors the area.

The hikes are open to everyone, but you must sign up on their website in advance.

There’s a suggested donation of $10 for members and $20 for non-members, which helps support the group’s work.

If you decide to join one of these hikes, you’ll meet at the American Littoral Society headquarters at Building 18 on Officers’ Row in the Fort Hancock section of Gateway National Recreation Area.

For easy navigation, you can use 18 Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ, as your GPS destination.

Once everyone arrives, the group will drive together to different spots around Sandy Hook to find the best places to see seals.

The guided walks usually last about two hours, covering about a mile of sandy beach.

Because you’ll be outside in winter, it’s important to dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes for walking.

The guides are experienced in identifying wildlife, so they’ll point out any seals or birds you see and explain more about the area’s ecology.

After the hike, you can warm up at the Littoral Society headquarters with snacks and hot drinks.

Another fun option for seal watching is taking a seal and bird ecology cruise on the Seastreak Ferry.

These boat tours run on select weekends between January and March.

They’re about 2.5 hours long and leave from Highlands, NJ, traveling through Raritan Bay and other nearby waters.

During the cruise, an expert from the American Littoral Society will be on board to help everyone spot seals and identify birds while explaining how these animals interact with their environment.

Here are some of the dates for the Seastreak seal and bird ecology cruises:

• Saturday, March 1, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 15, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, March 30, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets for the boat cruise cost $55 for adults, $30 for kids under 12, and $50 for seniors aged 65 and older.

The cruises leave from 326 Shore Drive in Highlands, NJ.

While harbor seals are the most commonly seen at Sandy Hook, sometimes you might spot other types, like grey seals or harp seals.

Seals often come out of the water to rest, warm up, and digest their food, so you might see them lounging on rocks, sandbars, or quiet beaches during the day.

They return to the water at night to hunt for fish.

Although seals might seem friendly, it is important to keep your distance and watch them from at least 150 feet away.

This helps prevent stress and disturbance that could harm the seals or cause them to leave the area.

Using binoculars or a spotting scope is the best way to see them up close without bothering them.

Never try to touch, feed, or interact with a seal, as this can be harmful to both you and the animal.

If you see a seal that looks injured, sick, or in distress, you should call the Marine Mammal Stranding Center at 609-266-0538 instead of trying to help it yourself.