Seals on Our Shores
In early winter, a jetty seems to magically
appear around the shoals of Chatham. It looks as if thousands of brown boulders
dot the high tide line from the north beach break-through to south beach and
Monomoy. Look again, though. These "rocks" are alive; our harbor seals have
come home.
When fall settles in, these sleek marine mammals begin their trek from the Maine coast and points further north where they breed. They travel into Cape waters, using designated areas from generations past as haul-out sites, land bases where seals can rest and find refuge during the non-breeding season. Jeremy Point in Wellfleet, Race Point in Provincetown and Monomoy Shoals in Chatham are homes to large numbers of harbor seals in winter. Harbor Seals and Grey Seals are among the 33 different species of pinnipeds (fin-footed animals).
Harbor seals are our most common visitors,
often seen around harbor entrances where they sun themselves on rocks and
sandbars. In the water, they float upright, nose pointed up, which is called
bottling. Among the smallest of the species, adults can grow to five feet;
however most are within three to four feet. Their coloration ranges from brown
to gray to almost white.
Grey seals are huge. Adults males may reach a length of ten feet and weigh over 600 pounds.
When a storm broke through Chatham's barrier beach, the water temperature became colder year-round. As a result, more Grey seals are spotted throughout the year. Watch these beautiful animals up close and personal. The Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary is one source for seal watching cruises (508-349-2615). Also, see the ads on in our printed edition.
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