CRESLI Announces 2015-2016 Seal Walk Schedule

LongIsland.com

Mark your calendars! The Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) is pleased to announce its schedule for the 2015-2016 seal walk season.

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Westhampton, NY - November 3, 2015 - The Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) is pleased to announce its schedule for the 2015-2016 seal walk season. 

For ten years, the CRESLI Seal Research Program has monitored seal populations to conduct long-term behavioral and population studies of seals around Long Island, including regular observations at a major haul out at Cupsogue Beach Park. To date, there are more than 125 photo-identified harbor seals, some of whom have been seen for a decade.

Population counts at Cupsogue indicate a significant and continuing increase in the number of seals utilizing Long Island's waters, as well as shifts in the species residencies and composition.  

Historically, Long Island's seal species typically included harbor and grey seals.  Over the past decades, arctic species, such as harp and hooded seals, once rare for Long Island, are being seen more frequently.  A two-hour naturalist led walk is available to learn about, observe, and photograph seals in the wild. 

  • Saturday, November 21 at 8:30 a.m.
  • Sunday, November 22 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, December 6 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Saturday, December 12 at 1:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 20 at 8:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, December 26 at 12:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 27 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, January 3 at 8:00 a.m.
  • Saturday, January 9 at 12:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, January 10 at 1:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, January 23 at 12:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, January 24 at 12:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, February 6 at 10:30 a.m.
  • Sunday, February 7 at 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, February 20 at 10:30 a.m.
  • Sunday, February 21 at 11:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, March 5 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, March 6 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Saturday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, March 20 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Saturday, March 26 at 1:00 a.m.
  • Saturday, April 2 at 8:30 a.m.
  • Sunday, April 3 at 9:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, April 9 at 1:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 16 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, April 17 at 10 a.m.
  • Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 a.m.
  • Sunday, May 1 at 8:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m.

Reservations are required and should be made at www.cresli.org.  There is a suggested donation of $5 per adult and $3 for those under 18 - please note that weather will play a significant role in determining the seal walk schedule.

WHERE:

CRESLI seal walks at Cupsogue Beach County Park (at the western end of Dune Road in Westhampton Beach) will depart from area near the fence at the western end of the parking lot. The walks are approximately 1.3 miles round trip and take about 2 hours.  Meeting times are 15 minutes prior to departure.  These walks are suitable for children.

The Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) was founded in 1996 by a group of experts in marine mammal science, environmental sciences, education and conservation. CRESLI was formed for the purposes of conducting research, providing educational experiences and promoting conservation of coastal ecosystems.  Research and education are inextricably linked in all CRESLI activities. As such, CRESLI actively seeks cooperative alliances with researchers, educational institutions, and the participation of the public. Our pinniped and cetacean research projects, for example, utilize public whale watch cruises and seal walks as platforms for collecting data and educating the public at the same time.