Harbor seals may be encountered anywhere along the coast in winter, but two areas in particular hold significant numbers, and are worth the trouble of a midwinter visit.

Maine Hot Spots

In southern Maine, the area around Wells Harbor and Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) just to the north hosts several hundred harbor seals, which haul out of rocky islands and secluded areas of shoreline; their rounded, gray heads are also commonly seen bobbing in the harbor waters before disappearing beneath the surface again.

Despite recent protection, harbor seals remain wary of humans. A good pair of binoculars or — better yet — a spotting scope on a tripod will give you the best views of resting seals. Seals usually choose haul-out spots that cannot be reached by people on foot, but if you should find one resting on the mainland shore, or if you're in a boat, keep a respectful distance so that you don't frighten it into leaving.

To reach Wells Harbor: Take I-95 (Maine Turnpike) to Exit 2, turning left off the exit ramp onto Route 9E/109 South and go 1.5 miles into the town of Wells. Turn right onto Route 9E/1 South, go 1.3 miles and turn left onto Mile Road (unmarked) at the sign for Wells Beach. At the end of the mile-long road you'll find several places to park and scan the sea. Turn left on Atlantic Avenue and drive to the end of the peninsula, where it overlooks the breakwaters at the mouth of the Webhannet River.

For a view of the northern side of the harbor, return to Route 1, turning north through Wells. Go 1 mile and turn right onto Drake's Island Road. Drive to the beach, turn right, and follow the road to the overview of the harbor.

To get to Rachel Carson NWR: Return once more to Route 9E/1 North and turn right, driving 0.4 miles to the intersection with Route 9 (Route 9 is 1.8 miles from Wells). Turn right. The entrance to the refuge is on the right, less than a mile down Route 9.

Massachusetts Hot Spots

As previously mentioned, one of the largest concentrations of harbor seals can be found below Cape Cod on Monomoy NWR, resting on the beaches and feeding in the fertile waters offshore of North and South Monomoy islands. This is, in part, because the waters around Monomoy are treacherous in winter, and the islands themselves are closed then to most human activity. Each winter, however, guided day-trips are run by private conservation groups to Monomoy to see the seals, as well as the phenomenal numbers of sea ducks, including up to 150,000 common eiders that also winter here. In addition to harbor seals, there is the possibility of seeing the rarer gray seal off Monomoy; the species pupped here for the first time in 1989.