Grassy Ledge near the Goslings, Harpswell, Maine

Children, and the children in all of us, love seals. Atlantic Harbor seals are fun to watch and can be found in quite a few places in Maine during the boating season. One of these is the Grassy Ledge near the Goslings in Casco Bay.

Seal Watching Guidance

1. Getting too close to harbor seals puts stress on them. The general rule in my family is this: if the seals are watching us as much as we are watching them, we may be too close. Back off.

2. Even at such ranges, you can take good photos with a strong zoom. The "far away" pictures on this page were taken at 12 zoom, and the close-in ones were taken at 48 zoom.

Protecting the Seals

1. Seals are protected by law - even from unintentional impacts from recreational boaters. According to Macalester Environmental Review, it is also illegal to disturb a harbor seal by causing disruption of its behavior patterns. "Because the primary habitat of the harbor seal is near-shore waters frequented by commercial and recreational boaters, there is frequent contact between harbor seals and people. Thus, the MMPA (Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972) may be violated by boaters who cause seals to return to the water from a haul-out ledge."

Additional Atlantic Harbor Seal Links and Resources

• Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Inc: Harbor Seals
• August 2004: Unusual Mortality of Harbor Seals Continues off Maine
• Macalester Environmental Review: Human Disturbances Affect Harbor Seal Haul-Out Behavior: Can the Law Protect These Seals From Boaters?
• January 2000, University of Maine: The Effect of Seals on Maine Atlantic Salmon
• Summer 2005 Gulf of Maine Times: Maureen Kelly: Seals carry heavy pollution burden