100+ Seals Lounge on Sandy Hook Island

Sandy Hook, NJ - Here’s a photo to start your Monday off right!

Seen here are more than 100 harbor seals hanging out at Sandy Hook’s Skeleton Hill Island Sunday morning, in this photo taken by Matt Brescia of the Sandy Hook Maintenance Division.

Skeleton Hill Island is in Sandy Hook Bay, but close to land and the seals are visible from Sandy Hook park, rangers posted on Facebook. The island is off limits to visitors, but if you want to see seals, rangers advise to park at Lot C, cross the roadway and turn right. Once on the beach, walk up 1/4 mile to see them or go to the boardwalk at Spermaceti Cove (park at Life-Saving Station building, between Lot D & E). Spotting scopes, binoculars, and a camera are highly recommended as the island is not accessible to the public, park rangers said. The best viewing time is early morning as the seals tend to swim away in the afternoon hours.

Don’t be surprised to see seals off Sandy Hook

Harbor seals have been spotted in New York/New Jersey waters with increasing frequency over the past few years, and Skeleton Hill Island is a favorite spot for them to haul out of the water and sunbathe.

The seals usually arrive to New Jersey in December from their breeding areas in northern New England, Arcadia and Nova Scotia.

Seals sleep on land during the day and hunt at night. It’s important for them to have a beach or sandbar to rest, relax and digest food. Because seals are small in size and have a thinner blubber layer than other marine mammals, they need to come out of the cold water almost daily to warm up. Read more from Patch poster Joe Reynolds about Harbor Seals in Sandy Hook Bay, including boat tours to see the seals with New York City Audubon.