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Grey Seals lounge in the sun on South Beach in Chatham. Photo courtesy of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

Seeing Seals...

Summer is a great time to see seals in our Cape Cod waters. In June, seals can be seen basking in the sun just off the coasts of Chatham and Monomoy. Harbor seals are the most abundant seals off the New England coastline. They are most often found near harbor entrances and basking in the sun along beaches. On Cape Cod, seals can often be seen lounging around the shoals of Chatham from the North Beach break-through to South Beach and Monomoy.

Grey Seals are a rare sight in other parts of the country, but off Cape Cod there have been recorded sightings near the coasts of Chatham and Nantucket - the southernmost breeding ground for these mammals. The gray seal's numbers are regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The best time to see seals is within 2 hours of low tide on a sunny midday afternoon. Because seals cannot move well on land, during high tide they position themselves over submerged jetties. When the tide goes out they are left exposed, sitting on the jetty basking in the sun. If left undisturbed, they will stay on the rocks until the tide comes in again. If conditions are right, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 seals can be seen in the afternoons at Monomoy Island.

A Grey Seal cruises the waters off Monomoy Beach. BRGPhoto

Adult harbor seals are spotted with contrasting gray, brown or black spots. They are 5 to 6 feet long and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. Harbor seals also have a round head. Grey seals are brown or silver with black splotches and are much larger than harbor seals, ranging from 7 to 8 feet long. The males average 400 pounds and females 700 pounds. They have an elongated head and have a Roman nose profile.

Seals are classified as pinnipeds, which in Latin translates into "fin footed." Because their rear flippers cannot anchor well on the shore, they have to wiggle their bellies in order to move on sand. In water, seals use their front flippers to steer and their back flippers to easily paddle their way through water.

Seals are carnivores and feed on a diet consisting of fish (sand eels, herring, mackerel, flounder, bluefish and skate), shrimp, squid and other animals they can chase out of the water and swallow whole. Seals have very sensitive whiskers and use them to hunt for shellfish along the ocean floor.