During the short, dreary days of midwinter, the cold waters of Narragansett Bay might not seem too alluring. But every year, hundreds of harbor seals make their home here, as they migrate south from their summer breeding grounds in Maine and the Maritimes. "They are not just winter visitors," says Wenley Ferguson, a Save The Bay staffer. "They're three-season residents of the Bay, arriving in early September and staying till May."

The harbor seals are not really new to the Bay; they were common in pre-Colonial times. Hunting decimated their numbers, and for many years, the seals were rarely seen here. Their population rebounded after the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibited killing or disturbing them. As their numbers grew, the seals expanded their range, and they began to reappear in Narragansett Bay about seven or eight years ago. Harbor seals grow to about five feet long and 200 pounds. Their sleek coats are gray, with dark spots. They hunt for fish and invertebrates, such as herring, cod, flounder, and squid.

On sunny days at low tide, the seals often climb onto exposed rocks to take a rest and soak up the warmth. Of the 15 known "haul-out" sites, Rome Point, in North Kingstown, is the most accessible. The seals favor a cluster of rocks not far from shore, where they can be easily observed with binoculars. One Wednesday morning last month, Tollgate High School teacher Lee Steitz and her four students counted 49 seals at the site. "They're very active today. They're behaving almost like dolphins," said Steitz, as the seals splashed and swam and clambered on the rocks.

Some of the seals found comfortable spots and laid inert, apparently asleep and content. Others pushed and slapped each other, or stretched into the "banana position," nose and tail pointing to the sky. Their drawn-out croaking sounds -- not quite a bark, not quite a growl -- could be clearly heard from shore. Swimming seals dive and swirl, or simply "bottle," their tails straight down, their round heads like small soccer balls on the water, their big dark eyes shining.

Steitz's students have counted up to 100 seals at this spot. The seal population of the Bay peaks in February and March, when about 300 have been counted in an informal census. They tend to favor spots near undeveloped shorelines. Too much activity ashore, such as dogs and noise, will discourage them. Passing boats can also scare them back into the water, even small, quiet boats. "A kayak moving closer can be interpreted as stalking behavior," Ferguson says. "Seals haul out to rest and gain energy, so it's important to keep a safe distance and not disturb them."

Save The Bay offers guided walks to Rome Point and boat trips from Newport to haul-out sites near Rose Island. Call (401) 272-3540 or visit www.savebay.org for information. To visit the seals on your own, wait for a calm, sunny day, shortly before low tide. Rome Point, now part of the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve, is about a half-hour hike from Route 1A. Park on the roadside, about a mile north of the Jamestown Bridge. Dress warm, bring binoculars, and leave your dog at home.

Issue Date: January 31 - February 6, 2003